Facing the Past
by yellowstar
Summary: Sequel to Flaws; Two years have passed and seemingly Ashley and Jeff have moved on. But what happens when you unexpectantly have to face your past? COMPLETED! Stay tuned for Part III!
1. summary

FACING THE PAST  
  
Two years have passed and Ashley and Jeff have seemingly moved on. But what happens when you have to face the past?  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own the power rangers. Saban does. Thank you. All other characters not recognized are mine.  
  
Summary of main characters. (more may be added later)  
  
The Astro rangers have graduated high school, and the Lost Galaxy team is the current team of rangers.  
  
Ashley and Carlos are sophomores at Angel Grove University. Carlos is on a soccer scholarship while studying to be a high school teacher, and soccer coach.  
  
Ashley is studying fashion design and works downtown at a local boutique, while continuing her passion for dance in her free time.  
  
Cassie is focusing on her music career, writing music and playing guitar when she's not waitressing at Angel Grove's newest club, Element.  
  
TJ passed his police academy final and is employed fulltime on the Angel Grove police department.  
  
Andros is living in Angel Grove now, while working for the government, communicating with other galaxies.  
  
Zhane is a diplomat for KO-35.  
  
Karone is the pink galaxy ranger.  
  
Adam, Jason, and Tommy are the owners of the Triple Dragon Dojo.  
  
Jeff works across the street from Ashley for an advertising firm. 


	2. Twelve years

Chapter 1 Twelve Years  
  
She reluctantly went back to the same cell where she had been for the past twelve years. Another committee meeting and same verdict, she was to remain in the custody of the state of California. No matter what she did, or how she acted, nothing ever changed. Even her counselors had bought her act of remorse and thought her to be rehabilitated, but the committee never gave her parole from the dismal sentence.  
  
She sat down on her thin bed as the warden locked up her cell. She picked up a piece of chalk and marked down another year gone by on her wall with another slash mark.  
  
"Twelve years." She marveled to herself as she gazed upon the small 8 by 8 cell that had become her home. It was completely bare, no one mailed her anything, and she had no contact with the outside world. The starkness of the cell suddenly bothered her and she wondered how many years she would have to endure here.  
  
"And for what?" her mind cried out in protest to her imprisonment. "I don't think I can stand another year in this joint, only to be turned down for parole again." Anger filled her as the hopelessness of her situation crept upon her. "Haven't I paid enough? How can they do this to me?" She clenched her fists as she paced her small cell.  
  
"Lights out Ladies!" The warden bellowed as she shut out the lights in the corridor, leaving her in complete silence. Lying down on her bed, she began to calm as a plan began to form in her head, a smile coming over her for the first time that day.  
  
She had heard of one prisoner who had simply crawled underneath the fence of the southern part of the courtyard. She left and was never heard of again. She didn't know if she had died, but she only dwelt on the fact that she had escaped. Nothing else mattered. The freedom she once took for granted, she was determined to get back. She didn't once consider that she deserved her punishment, she simply didn't believe she had committed any crimes.  
  
The first five years in prison she had tried in vain to find a lawyer to appeal her case to the court. But no lawyer would accept her case, calling it a lost cause.  
  
The last one said, "There is simply too much evidence for the prosecution. There is no way I could possibly sway a jury to think otherwise. I'm sorry." After that, she could not even convince a lawyer to visit her in prison.  
  
"If I am really going to do this, it's got to be soon." She decided as she headed with the other inmates to the dining hall. The prison's security was more relaxed on the weekends, and even another week locked up would be too much. Her gaze was everywhere, looking for any means of escape possible. Refusing to accept her court appointed destiny, hope surged through her as she dreamed about getting out. No body notices when she doesn't show up for recreation time, as she had claimed she had laundry to catch up on. She had traded with Annette in the next cell, who knew of her plan only out of necessity. She had to stall security incase they got too nosy, leaving Shelley enough time to escape on the laundry truck.  
  
Ashley clocks out at noon to meet her brother at the café down the street for their weekly lunch meeting. Both their lives are so hectic, but they are determined to still make time for each other. She grabs her purse as she waves to her boss Marissa and closes the door to Nonchalance behind her.  
  
Ashley breathes in the warm spring air as she walks along the crowded sidewalk. Many people are out shopping on their lunch hour, and Ashley smiles at the scene. She got the job working at Nonchalance from her fashion professor, and hoped to open her own boutique someday. After she settled down with Andros she thought, a wide grin coming over her face, hoping he might propose soon.  
  
They had been dating for three years now, and Ashley was looking forward to joining the group of other married rangers. She thought about Kim and Tommy, and Kat and Adam, and how happy they all were. Logically, she believed her and Andros were the next couple to be wed, but logic flies out the window when you're in love with an alien.  
  
"Hey Ash! You must be having a good day." Her brother observed as he caught up to her at the door of the café that Kat had opened last fall, conveniently located right down the street from the Dojo.  
  
Ashley blushed as she realized her thoughts must have been transparent on her face. "Not too bad Jeff, and you?" she asked in return as the duo got settled into their favorite booth in the café. Kat was right over with their drinks, a lemonade and root beer, which they always ordered.  
  
" I'm doing well. So how's Andros?" Jeff questioned, opening up the conversation as they waited for their food.  
  
Ashley was about to reply when her brother cut her off and commented, "Wait. Never mind, I only have an hour for lunch." He kidded with her as Ashley shot him her not amused look, before giving into laughter herself.  
  
"He's fine." Ashley replied as the thoughtful smile returned to her face.  
  
"You were thinking about him when I saw you weren't you?" He commented suddenly. Ashley's face turned a light pink in admission. "Has he asked you to marry him yet?" Jeff inquired seriously.  
  
"No." Ashley whispered softly, as she looked anywhere but at her brother.  
  
"What's he waiting for?" Her brother commented in disbelief. "Are you sure he's worth waiting for himself?" Jeff asked in brotherly concern, grabbing her hand and forcing her to look at him.  
  
Staring down her brother, she replied, "Yes, Jeff. I would wait forever for Andros. I know we're meant to be together, I can't imagine a life without him anymore." She confessed. He was surprised by her admission, Ashley had dated several people before Andros, even Carlos, but he was her first serious boyfriend. He didn't want her to have to settle for the first boy she fell in love with.  
  
"I just don't want him to hurt you Ash." Jeff declared. "What if he's never ready to settle down?" His question caused Ashley a few moments of reflection, during which the two finished their meals.  
  
"I don't get that sense from him that he won't settle down. We're both young, and he's given me no indication that we won't get married." She stated. Jeff was about to interject, but she continued. "But if he didn't want to settle down, then there's nothing I can do, right? I mean it's not my fault if he doesn't want to get married." She said, the thought of not being with Andros leaving a bitter taste in her mouth, as her appetite waned and she pushed her plate away.  
  
He sighed a breath of relief. "You're right Ash. I know you're both young, I just want the best for you." Jeff said, glad that she had at least heard what he had to say and was considering it. Ashley had really grown up in the last few years. As reluctant as he was to admit it, he knew her relationship with Andros had caused a lot of the changes in her.  
  
Before they knew it, it was ten to one, so Jeff picked up the check and walked Ashley outside where they parted ways.  
  
"When are you going to hook me up with that gorgeous brother of yours Ash?" Kari called from across the vacant store, as the two cleaned up before locking up for the night.  
  
"In your dreams Kar. I mean he makes fun of me for being in love, and yet he's in love and doesn't know it!" The tall brunette retorted back to her friend. "Honestly, I think he would be better off trying to fix his own love life than mine." Ashley decided as she finished clearing out the dressing rooms.  
  
"What's wrong with your love life?" Kari demanded of her co-worker. "He takes you out, he sends you flowers, and of course always gives you his undivided attention."  
  
"I know." Ashley sighed contently. "Jeff just thinks Andros should have asked me to marry him by now." She finished.  
  
"You're what? 20 years old. I don't think you should be worried about that yet. I mean many people never get married, it's very in vogue right now." Kari advised her seriously as she finished the display in the front window. Peering out, she recognized the subject of their conversation and began to make her exit.  
  
"Speaking of your love life, here he comes now." Kari announced as Ashley reappeared from the back. "I'll see you tomorrow Ash." She waved goodbye as she stole out the back door. Ashley giggled to herself as Andros knocked on the front door.  
  
"What's so funny?" Andros demanded as Ashley opened the door, a wide grin on her face. "Nothing." She replied as she wrapped her arms around his neck to give him a big hug. He returned the hug gladly and even surprised her with a long, gentle kiss.  
  
"You ready to go then?" she nodded and turned out the lights, and the pair left the store. "I thought we could walk the streets for a bit before dinner. I don't have reservations until 7pm." Andros informed her as they strode hand in hand away from the boutique.  
  
"Reservations huh?" She teased, in reference to their many low-key dates. While Ashley never complained about eating at the Surf Spot or going on dates with their friends, she always enjoyed his company, especially when they had the chance to be alone together.  
  
"Yeah, I thought it would be fun." He said casually, glad that she was happy to be going to dinner with him.  
  
They were content to walk in silence as they enjoyed each other's company. Andros' thoughts were focused on Ashley, while hers were focused on the store signs that they passed. She didn't know if it was coincidence but hadn't they just passed the florist, the bakery, and a jewelry store? Her thoughts quickly turned back to the conversation she had with her brother at lunch.  
  
Across the street another woman is enjoying the fresh air for a different reason. "I can't believe it was that easy. I should have tried to escape twelve years ago, instead of waiting for the incompetent judicial system to do it for me." She complained as she climed out of the laundry cart she had been traveling in since that morning. Stretching her legs, she ditched her assigned jumpsuit for a simple sweatsuit she had managed to dig out from another load. Cracking the door a little at a time, she peeked out, and the first time had an unobstructed view of the world. Hopping down she gently shut the doors and walked away from the truck as unobtrusively as possible. But with the traffic buzzing around her, no one noticed.  
  
"This place sure has changed in twelve years." She thought to herself as she attempted to stroll down the streets casually. She couldn't believe her plan had actually worked. And now she was enjoying the freedom, she was denied for so long. Anger again filled her as she considered the circumstances of her incarceration. "How could they believe those kids?" "If only I could see them again, I'd make them pay." Forcing the scowl off her face, Shelley continued down the street, walking with a marked purpose.  
  
"They will pay. I'll make sure of it." She promised herself. There was no way in hell she would go back to prison. But her bitterness and anger precluded her from simply walking way. Freedom wasn't enough. It was time for revenge. She didn't notice that one of the two people she longed to have vengeance against was a mere few hundred feet away. She blended into the shopping crowd as she started to plot her next move.  
  
She had no features that would make her stand out in a crowd. She was once considered pretty, but the years in prison had only accelerated the aging process until her beauty had all but faded. She had once been bitter because of it, but now it served to her advantage. No one would take a double glance at her. If only she could keep her nerves calm, and stop glancing over her shoulder she'd be okay.  
  
"Andros, could we go to the park instead?" She asked suddenly, causing him to turn to her in concern.  
  
"Whatever you want Ash." he said as they stopped walking, and he tried to read her facial expressions. "I thought you loved to shop." He teased gently, trying to break the sober mood that had suddenly descended on them.  
  
"I do. But when you work here all day, it sort of loses its excitement." She replied with a small smile. He didn't pretend to understand nor did he catch on to her nervousness, but agreed to go to the park anyways. He held his comments, thinking maybe she was just tired, wondering where his usually bubbly girlfriend had gone.  
  
"Are you okay Ash?" Andros asked her in concern. "You seem a bit distracted tonight." He observed as the two walked hand in hand in the park. Usually Ashley loved the park, and being with Andros, but tonight she could find no satisfaction. Her conversation with her brother at lunch ran through her mind, and no matter how hard she tried, she could not banish it from her thoughts.  
  
"Actually, I'm a bit tired. Do you mind if we go home early?" She replied hopefully.  
  
Andros looked at his girlfriend. There was something going on there, he knew for certain, but this time he was going to press her on it.  
  
"I don't mind Ash." He said and the pair headed back to Ashley's apartment where he bid her goodnight. He was about to walk away, but he decided he had to say something. "You know you can talk to me about anything right?" He asked his girlfriend.  
  
"I know Andros. Can we talk tomorrow? I'm really tired." She answered softly. She looked up at him expectantly and he knew it could wait till tomorrow. "Yeah, goodnight Ash." He said as he gave her a tight squeeze and a kiss goodnight.  
  
Ashley shut the door and locked it. Sitting on her couch, she watched out the window as Andros disappeared down the street. She was going to kill Jeff for putting doubts in her head about her and Andros. They had been together for three years. She knew he would never mislead her in anyway.  
  
"I don't need a reason to be discontent." She mumbled to herself as she paced around her apartment. Tired of that she finally decided it might be time to have a talk with Andros. She couldn't stand hiding anything from him, he was such a good listener, he might think her crazy but he always respected her feelings. Feeling more at peace, she did climb into bed with a calm heart.  
  
But the peace didn't last long. Shortly after midnight, Ashley woke up frantically, sweaty and her heart racing. She tried to recall what her dream was, and after a few moments' concentration she remembered. She had a nightmare that Shelley had escaped from prison. She didn't know why she should think of that now, she had finally gotten over the nightmares two years ago when she had shared her experiences at the abuse meeting, and finally let her friends into her not so perfect world.  
  
Clutching her blanket around her, Ashley stumbled out of bed and picked up the phone and dialed her brother.  
  
"Hello." Came the clear deep voice of her older brother. Relived that she hadn't woken him up, she answered his greeting.  
  
"Jeff, it's Ashley." Her tone of voice stilled any comments he might have made. "What's the matter?" he requested gently.  
  
"I had the worst nightmare Jeff. I dreamt that Shelley had escaped from prison." Ashley rambled, her voice betraying the calm she was struggling to hold on to. She was clearly upset.  
  
Jeff was shocked, this was the last thing he had expected to hear from her. Alarmed he responded, "I'll be right over." Before Ashley could even protest he had hung up the phone.  
  
Ashley saw him coming down the walk and had the door open before he could even knock. He simply pulled his distraught sister into his arms, like he used to when they lived together.  
  
"What made you think of Shelley?" Jeff wanted to know, as he led the brown haired girl to her couch.  
  
"I don't know. I just had the strangest feeling that it was true." Ashley commented, still a bit shocked herself.  
  
"Well what were you doing tonight?" He asked, trying to figure out some rational reason for this nightmare.  
  
"I was out with Andros. But we left early because of our conversation this afternoon. I couldn't concentrate at all." She said, trying to make him feel a bit guilty.  
  
But Jeff wasn't biting. "I'm sorry if I said things you didn't want to hear Ash, but that's what brothers are for. I'm here to protect you. Always. That's my job." He said, attempting not to start another argument, especially when there was another issue involved.  
  
"I'm not mad Jeff." Ashley admitted. "You just gave me a lot to think about, and I didn't have to time to process it before meeting Andros after work. When I got home, I decided to have a talk with him tomorrow about our future."  
  
"Good for you." He encouraged her. "So there wasn't anything that triggered this feeling?" he said aloud, not as a question for her, but for him just trying to understand the situation.  
  
"I feel silly for calling you Jeff. It just sort of freaked me out. I'm sure it won't happen again." She apologized.  
  
"None the less, I'd feel safer if I stayed over tonight." Jeff decided, leaving no room for argument. He sent Ashley back to her room with a cup of tea and found himself a blanket and curled up on her couch.  
  
"What's the matter Ash? You look like you saw a ghost." Carlos kidded her as he met her at the university coffee shop before heading off to the Western Civ class.  
  
Ashley shook off her shock, deciding she must be seeing things, as she hasn't been sleeping well lately. "What? Did you say something Carlos?" She questioned her Hispanic friend as she took one last look over her shoulder.  
  
"Are you okay?" He asked this time, concerned at her appearance. Her face was void of all color and it appeared as she might pass out.  
  
"I'm okay Carlos. Let's just go to class." She said, pasting a smile on her face for his benefit. As they took their seats, Ashley wondered how she was going to get through this class.  
  
"I'm going to drive myself crazy. I'm sure I'm only thinking I'm seeing Shelley because of that dream I had last night." Ashley said to reassure herself. "There's no way she could have escaped." Clinging to that belief, Ashley shook the incident from her mind and drove herself down to the boutique.  
  
The afternoon flew by for Ashley as Fridays always did for her. Andros had to work late on Fridays, so she spent time after work in the dance studio. After the exhausting events of the day before, dancing would be just what she needed to get her mind off of things for a while.  
  
But tonight for some reason as soon as she walked into the dance studio, she felt uneasy. The circumstances were no different than any other Friday. The studio was empty as usual, giving Ashley free reign over the facility. Her high school cheerleading coach had given her a key to use whenever she had a chance.  
  
Shaking off her nerves, she turned on all the lights and put on her favorite cd. After a few minutes of warm ups, she threw herself into her routines, and the uneasy feelings simply faded away. A loud noise interrupted the dancer and she raced out the door to see what it was. Ashley screamed at the top of her lungs when she plowed into another person, only to discover it was only Andros.  
  
"What are you doing here?" She shouted as she tried to get her heart to stop pounding. Leaning against the wall, she was waiting for his answer while she caught her breath.  
  
Andros looked confused. Glancing at his watch, he replied, "It's eight o'clock Ash. I always come here at this time." He gazed at her in concern. Ashley was never this jumpy. Her calm determination had been one of her greatest attributes as a ranger; she was not given to react irrationally. "Are you okay? What are you doing outside?" he questioned, as he led her back inside the dance studio to collect her stuff and lock up.  
  
"I heard a loud noise and then I saw someone looking in the window." She described as she zipped up her bag and slipped her yellow sweatshirt over her head.  
  
"You saw a person?" Andros probed his girlfriend. Ashley nodded in confirmation. At first, he thought it was probably just a raccoon or something, but now he grew concerned for a minute, before rational thinking came back to him. He could never think rationally when Ashley was involved. He had dared to love her and to be loved back and he would be damned if something happened to her.  
  
He drew her close to him to comfort her and himself as well. While he could not think of anyone who would want to scare her, he did not deem it impossible, after all as rangers they had made many enemies. Andros closed the dance studio door behind them and they headed towards his red jeep. "I'm sure it was nothing Ash." He said as he could think of no reason to be concerned.  
  
Andros and Ashley grabbed a quick dinner before he dropped her off at her apartment. She gave him a hug and big kiss goodbye, promising tomorrow they would spend the whole day together. She sighed as he waited as he always did for her to get into her apartment. She knew he knew that she could take care of herself, but it was nice to know that he cared about her.  
  
Reaching for the handle, she was shocked to find it loose. "Did I leave my door unlocked?" she wondered as she pushed it open and stepped inside. Ashley tried to recall the morning's events, but could not remember if she had locked it or not. The nightmares had her tossing and turning all night, and she had overslept her alarm. She had raced around in a hurry just to meet Carlos on time at the coffee shop. "I suppose it's possible, that I left it unlocked." She thought to herself. Shrugging, she firmly closed the door, and hurried off to bed. 


	3. Last Hope

Chapter 2: Last Hope  
  
"That was too easy." She gloated as she dumped the contents of her Wal-Mart bags on her motel bed. Taking out the hair dye and scissors, she went to the bathroom to transform herself. Shelley hummed to herself as she jumped in the shower. Thinking back, she recollected the events of the day.  
  
She had gone to the library early in the morning to see if she could find any information on the Hammond family. She was so surprised to find they still lived in town! Of all the good luck, revenge would be hers much quicker than she had originally thought. She typed in Ashley's name and in a matter of seconds, she knew her school schedule and where she worked. Now she just had to wait for the perfect time to put her plan into action. All she had to do now was to make certain no one would recognize her. She wasn't taking any chances.  
  
Ashley woke up with a start. Sweat poured off her head, her brown hair sticking to her face as she struggled to get her breathing back to normal. She glanced at the clock and moaned when she saw it was only 3am. She had gotten no sleep the night before, and it looked like tonight would be no different. Sighing, she got out of bed to make herself a cup of tea and grabbed a book and tried to keep her mind off the nightmares that had started to plague her.  
  
She had no rational reason to believe that Shelley had escaped. She couldn't explain her feelings, it was the same feelings she had whenever one of her teammates, especially Andros was in danger. She had never felt that way for herself before, until now. And she was scared.  
  
Ashley could recall with clarity, the fear that Shelley had instilled in her when she was a child. And now, though she was able to defend herself, she still was a bit fearful. Who knows what that woman was capable of? If she was able to kill her own three-year-old daughter, imagine how hate filled she must be now after twelve years in prison. Ashley shuddered. That was an image she didn't want to dwell on.  
  
It wasn't until after the sun had risen that Ashley had finally fallen asleep. When her alarm buzzed at 8:30, she groaned as her body reacted to the lack of sleep. She forced herself up and into the shower, so she could be ready when Andros came to pick her up at ten o'clock.  
  
Promptly at ten o'clock, there was a knock at her door. "Come in!" Ashley called as she finished eating her breakfast. Andros quickly let himself in and went to look for his girlfriend. "Hey Ash." He said as he leaned down to give her a kiss on the cheek, before sitting next to her at the kitchen table.  
  
"What's wrong? You look tired." He observed as he pushed her brown hair off her face, revealing her blood shot and puffy eyes.  
  
"I haven't been sleeping well." Ashley finally admitted, looking him straight in the eye. Maybe she should tell Andros her suspicions, he would believe her right?  
  
"What aren't you telling me Ash?" Andros questioned in concern. He had never seen Ashley look so tired and worn out before, not even after all their battles against Astronema and Dark Spectre.  
  
"I've been having nightmares again Andros." She whispered tearfully. Andros pulled his chair closer to her and gathered her in his arms. "Shh. It's alright Ash. I won't let anyone hurt you." He promised.  
  
Andros continued on, asking her about her nightmares. "Were they the same ones you've always had?"  
  
Ashley paused before answering. "No. They're different." She grabbed his hands as she looked at him, "I have this awful feeling that Shelley escaped from prison, and I don't know why."  
  
"Do you have any proof Ash, that she might have escaped?" Andros asked logically.  
  
"I thought I saw her the other day at school, and then there was the incident at the dance studio. And when I got home on Friday, my door was open."  
  
"What?" Andros practically hollered, losing his calm. "Why didn't you tell me?" He demanded of her.  
  
"I didn't think anything of it, until after I started having the nightmares. I was running late that morning, I might have forgotten to close it myself." Ashley replied.  
  
Andros began to calm down. He could tell Ashley was a bit frightened, and he wasn't helping matters any. "Let's get out of here. I don't know what's going on, but I'm sure everything is okay." He tried to reassure her. She pasted a smile on for him, but inside her brain was screaming, "What if everything's not okay? What if she really has escaped?" She was so caught up in her thoughts, she didn't notice that Andros had cleared the table, and was getting her ready to leave. Ashley decided she wasn't going to ruin the first day she had with Andros in a long time, so she pushed her fears to the back of her mind, determined to forget it. The pair drove to the local beach to enjoy the first warm day of spring.  
  
"I told the gang we'd meet up at Kat's café around one o'clock. Is that okay?" Andros inquired as the two enjoyed a sunny day at the beach. Ashley just nodded, the sun was relaxing her and she soon fell asleep, getting some much needed rest. Andros watched her as the tension eased off her face as she slept. He was worried about her. Maybe he should talk to Jeff. But the rest of the morning Ashley seemed fine, so Andros decided he and Ashley had simply overreacted.  
  
The group gathered at the café for lunch. Andros and Ashley were the last to arrive just in time to hear Cassie's statement. "There's going to be a wicked cool band playing tonight at Element. You all should come check it out." Cassie advised her friends, as they caught up with each other. They had such busy and different schedules, but somehow always made time for each other every Saturday. The whole team was there except for TJ, who was on duty with the police department this weekend.  
  
"That sounds great, Cass. I'm in." Carlos declared. "Me too." Jeff added. He looked to his sister. "What about you Ash? Are you guys going to come?" Ashley was not paying attention, she was focused on the events of the last two days, when Andros squeezed her hand and she jumped. "What?" she asked guiltily. The others laughed at her confusion, except for Jeff and Andros, whose worry for her continued to grow.  
  
"Are you and Andros coming to the club tonight?" Jeff repeated, looking at Ashley in concern. Ashley looked to her boyfriend for an answer.  
  
"It's up to you Ash." He said impassively. "I don't care either way."  
  
"Let's go. I think it will be lots of fun." Ashley declared, trying to break out of the gloom she was mired in. Maybe she could just forget everything that had been happening. Glancing at her watch, she realized she would not make it to the bank if she didn't leave now. She bid everyone goodbye, giving Andros a kiss goodbye and a promise to meet up with him later at Cassie's.  
  
"Is Ashley okay, Andros?" Cassie asked as her best friend raced out of the cafe. "She doesn't seem like herself." She acknowledged cautiously.  
  
"I'm not sure. She said she's been having nightmares again." Andros informed the group, a worried expression on his face.  
  
"What brought this on? I thought she had gotten over that." Carlos asked in bewilderment.  
  
"I don't know." Jeff admitted. "She called me the other night all upset. But these nightmares are different than before. She thinks that Shelley has escaped from prison." His statement caused the group to turn their eyes upon him.  
  
"Is it possible?" Carlos asked, wanting desperately to believe that it wasn't true.  
  
"No." Jeff stated firmly. "They had her parole meeting just last week, and once again she was turned down. It's a well secured prison." Carlos didn't like the implications of Jeff's statements. If it were so impossible for Shelley to have escaped, then what was going on with Ashley?  
  
They paid the bill and got into their cars and traveled over to Cassie's. No one noticed the dark pools of liquid on the ground where Ashley's car had been.  
  
Ashley turned on her car just as Matchbox Twenty came on the radio. Ashley rolled her eyes. This was one of her favorite bands, but this song hit too close to home right now.  
  
"All day, staring at the ceiling making friends with shadows on my wall. All night I'm hearing voices telling me, that I should get some sleep because tomorrow might be good for something. Hold on I'm feeling like I'm headed for a breakdown. I don't know why."  
  
Ashley joined in and sang the chorus. " I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell. I know right now you can't tell."  
  
Isn't this appropriate? she thought as left the bank parking lot.. Jeff thought she was crazy and Andros was being overprotective. She was getting into the song so much she didn't notice when the light turned yellow in front of her. Slamming on the brakes, Ashley tried not to run through the light. To her horror, nothing happened as she continued to speed through the light, just missing being in an accident. Shaken, she slowed down and pulled into the auto shop down the street.  
  
"Can I help you?" the man behind the counter asked. Ashley nodded as she tried to speak. Her heart was pounding so fast; it was all she could do to breathe. "Can you take a look at my brakes? They went out when I was driving down the road." She explained to the mechanic.  
  
"Did the brake light come on? Have you had any problems with your brakes before?" The man asked politely. Ashley answered no to both questions. Satisfied that there was a legitimate problem, the man pulled the car inside the garage and raised it up so he could look underneath. Ashley sat impatiently in the waiting room, hoping there was a problem, proving she wasn't paranoid, yet scared that if there was a problem, then her sense of danger was real.  
  
"Something did a number on your brakes there ma'am. All the brake fluid was drained. It's no wonder they didn't work." He reported to her. "If you want it'll take about an hour to fix."  
  
"Thanks. I'd appreciate that." Ashley responded. "Did the brakes drain by themselves?" She questioned the mechanic.  
  
"If that were the case it would have been noticeable and more gradual. Since you didn't have a problem this morning I would say something or someone caused the draining of the brake fluid." He replied as he went back to the garage to begin the repairs.  
  
Ashley was shocked. "What's going on?" she thought to herself. "This can't be happening."  
  
"It's amazing what a person can learn in jail." Shelley laughed to herself as she threw the dirty gloves into a dumpster behind the motel. She was suddenly grateful for taking the auto shop class in prison. These skills were coming in handy. And soon she would have what she wanted.  
  
"What took you so long?" Carlos demanded as Ashley joined the group gathered at Cassie's house. She was quiet and thoughtful as she sat down on the couch next to Andros. The group had been watching a movie, but paused it when they heard Ashley's Volkswagen beetle pull up.  
  
Ashley debated about telling them or not, but she finally decided to tell them about her car problems. Maybe Cassie and Carlos would take her side, and maybe the brakes would convince Jeff and Andros she wasn't crazy. "I had to stop at the mechanics on the way here." She said non-chalantly, trying not to make a bigger deal out of it then it already was. She was just starting to breath normally again, and didn't want to get herself upset.  
  
"What for? Your car should be running fine." Jeff wondered, puzzled. "I just checked it last week."  
  
"I know Jeff. But on way out of the bank, the light turned yellow, and I slammed on the brakes, only." Ashley paused as she choked back the tears. "Only they didn't work. I ran through the red light, barely missing another car. I managed to slow down and get to the auto shop."  
  
The others gazed at her in horror. Andros wrapped his arms around her to comfort his distressed girlfriend. "It's alright Ash. You're okay now. Everything will be fine." His tone made Ashley pull away. "What if everything is not fine Andros? My brakes didn't go out on their own!" she shouted as her emotions overwhelmed her, and she leapt off the couch. Her outburst shocked her friends. Ashley was never this emotional.  
  
Across the room, Jeff jumped out of his chair to try to calm down his sister, but she just shook him off. "Don't say it Jeff. Don't tell me I'm making it up, because I'm not. They were working fine this morning, and all of a sudden they just stopped working. Even the mechanic said that something caused my brakes to go out." Ashley spat out angrily as she paced the room in a panic. Carlos stared at her in alarm as she ranted and raved.  
  
"Listen Ash. I know you're upset. I'm sure the whole incident with your brakes going out scared you. But let's not jump to any conclusions just yet." Carlos tried to rationalize with her.  
  
"I know you all think I'm crazy, that Shelley couldn't possibly have escaped. But I know what I saw. And all these incidents prove I'm not crazy." She pleaded with them to believe her. Looking in their eyes, the sympathetic glances she saw was too much for her to stand. She didn't need their pity. She would have to get to the bottom of this on her own. Nobody said anything in support of Ashley's statements. They just couldn't believe what they hadn't seen. And they didn't believe that Ashley had seen Shelley either. It was too incredible.  
  
"Listen Ash, even if she did escape, why would she come after you? Wouldn't she want her freedom and leave the country?" Cassie asked in a quiet voice, causing Ashley to calm down.  
  
"I don't know Cass. But I know something's not right." Ashley whispered. "I just feel it." She added miserably. No one said a word as quiet tension filled the room.  
  
"Lets get you home Ash." Andros decided, breaking the silence. To their astonishment, Ashley didn't argue. She was quiet and compliant with his request and they left.  
  
"Wow." Carlos said to no one in particular. Jeff was lost in thought and worried about his sister. Maybe he should go talk to their dad.  
  
"I've never seen her like this." Cassie agreed, stunned by the revelations of the last hour. She didn't believe Jeff and Andros when they told her that Ashley had been acting weird, but now she had seen Ashley's behavior first hand. How could she believe all this?  
  
The room that had been alive with conversation and laughter before now was somber. Jeff finally elected to go talk to his dad. Maybe Ashley wasn't completely over their ordeal, as they had thought she was. Whatever the reason, she needed help that he couldn't give her.  
  
"Hey Jeff. I'm surprised to see you here on a Saturday night." Mr. Hammond commented upon greeting his son at the door. Both his children stopped in regularly, but rarely on the weekends. He noticed the strained look on his son's face, and knew of only one reason for Jeff to be so serious. Jeff had always been Ashley's protector, as her older brother, it was a role he loved and dedicated himself to. "What's wrong?" He asked anxiously, as Jeff entered the house and the two sat themselves down in the family room.  
  
"Dad, Ashley's been having nightmares again." Jeff began, wishing he didn't have to tell his dad what was going on. "She thinks she's seen Shelley, she believes she escaped from jail."  
  
"What?" Mr. Hammond whispered incredulously. On one hand the story was too incredible for Ashley just to make up, but on the other, it didn't make any sense. "I thought she was okay." He said dazed by his son's information.  
  
"We all did Dad. I don't know what brought this on. I think she needs help." Jeff advised his dad. "I don't know what else to do." He admitted, feeling completely helpless to aid his little sister.  
  
"The lawyer gave me a couple of numbers for some world class counselors in the area. I'll give them a call and set up an appointment." Mr. Hammond decided.  
  
Ashley sat in her favorite chair in her living room feeling more alone than she ever had felt before. Why wouldn't they believe me? Why would I make this all up? She wondered to herself. "Now I know where they stand. I know I'm not crazy! I'll have to figure out this mess by myself." She promised to herself. Exhausted she finally collapsed on the couch, getting a few much-needed hours of sleep.  
  
Sunday morning.  
  
Ashley decided to go for a run to burn off some tension and restlessness. Running always made her feel better and it gave her time to think, and time to be alone. Setting the timer on her watch, Ashley sprinted down the sidewalk, not noticing when a car down the street pulled out of the driveway.  
  
"God is there nothing this girl doesn't do! She's a cheerleader, a dancer, runs every morning, is on honor roll in school, works a steady job, and has a boyfriend." Shelley ran down the list of Ashley's accomplishments in disgust. But her anger hid her envy of her stepdaughter. "Doesn't seem like the last twelve years have been too hard on her." She grumbled to herself. "But that's all about to change." She vowed as she followed the girl down the street.  
  
Ashley was setting new records with her run that morning. All the frustrations came pouring out of her as her feet pounded the pavement. She pushed her body further and faster than ever before in a futile attempt to forget. Images of her friend's faces flashed through her memory. Cassie's concerned gaze, Carlos's look of shock and disbelief, Andros's worried expressions, and Jeff's disappointment, and fear of losing another sister. "TJ!" She thought suddenly, as hope surged through her that the former blue ranger wouldn't let her down. Adrenaline pumped through her body as she raced towards the police station in anticipation of finding him there.  
  
Ashley was across the street from the police station, waiting for the WALK sign to appear. She jogged in place to keep her momentum, and started across as soon as it lit up. Eager to find her friend, Ashley didn't notice the car barreling towards her. Instinct took over as the car came closer and closer. She left her feet to avoid hitting the car. Curling into a ball to protect her head, she rolled across the rough pavement, violently colliding with the curb. Grimacing she pulled herself up to her knees and stared at the car, looking for any clues as she attempted to breathe.  
  
"Are you okay miss?" The officer asked as he knelt down to assess her injuries. Ashley tore her gaze away from the street to look at the man next to her. "I'm fine, really." She reassured the officer. "Can you tell me if Officer Johnson is in?" She questioned him as he helped her off the street.  
  
"Follow me." He said as he assisted her inside the police station. "By the way my name is Lt. Gibson. TJ is my partner." He informed her. Ashley limped besides him as he continued his introduction. "How do you know him?" He said in an easy-going manner that made Ashley relax.  
  
"We went to high school together." She disclosed to the friendly man. He stopped to knock on a door in the station. Peeking his head in he announced, "Johnson, you've got a visitor."  
  
"Alright, send them in." TJ declared without looking up from his work. He finally looked up when the visitor didn't say anything. "Ashley!" he declared. "What a surprise. Sit down." He then took in her appearance. Her jogging suit was blackened from her roll across the pavement, holes worn in the fabric and blood and bruises evidence of her ordeal.  
  
"What happened?" He asked gently of his old friend as he took down a first aid kit from his shelf. Lt. Gibson excused himself, leaving the two friends to talk.  
  
"I was crossing the street and a car came barreling down the street and almost hit me. IT would have hit me if I hadn't jumped out of the way." Ashley reported.  
  
"So what brings you down here?" TJ asked curiously as he bandaged the wounds on Ashley's legs.  
  
She paused for a minute. Seeing that the door was securely shut, she continued. "Teej, I think I'm in trouble. No one believes me, you're my last hope." She pleaded with him. Her statement caused him to look up at her. He had never seen Ashley seem so frightened or discouraged before. "Tell me about it." He encouraged her to tell him everything. "You know I'll do whatever I can to help you."  
  
"I started having nightmares, Thursday night I guess. I dreamt that Shelley had escaped from prison. If that wasn't bad enough, I swore I saw her Friday at AGU on my way to meet Carlos. Then I saw somebody looking in the window at the dance studio but they were gone before I saw them. And my apartment was unlocked when I got home that night." She summarized the first few events for him.  
  
"Did you tell Jeff and Andros?" TJ asked in concern. Ashley nodded. "They don't believe me. Everyone thinks I'm crazy, but I know I'm not TJ." She said as tears filled her eyes, begging him to believe her.  
  
"I don't think you're crazy Ash." He admitted. "What else happened?" He pushed her to continue her story.  
  
"Saturday afternoon, I had just left the bank and I was driving down the road, when the light turned yellow. I hadn't been paying attention so I slammed on the brakes to avoid running through the light but nothing happened. I barely missed hitting another car, and I slowed down in time to reach the garage further down the street. The mechanic told me that all the brake fluid had been drained." Her account intrigued him. There were too many coincidences; something was definitely going on. Looking at his old friend, he noticed the upbeat; cheerful demeanor was gone, replaced by a somber and distressed attitude.  
  
"Do you have a report of the repairs he did?" He asked as he tried to gather as much information as possible. Ashley nodded. "And then there was the car that just tried to run me down." She brought him up to date.  
  
"Can I ask you a favor Teej?" She asked softly. TJ nodded at her to go on with her request. "Would you be able to find out if Shelley did indeed escape from prison?"  
  
"I don't see why not. That would be the first logical step to take in finding out what is going on." TJ replied simply.  
  
"So you'll help me?" She said incredulously. TJ smiled at her shock. "Of course Ash. I'll do whatever I can." He promised her. "Now how about I take you home and you can rest."  
  
"Thanks TJ. You don't know how much this means to me." She asserted as he walked her out to his squad car.  
  
A few minutes later they pulled up at Ashley's apartment. TJ insisted on walking her in. "You don't have to Teej, I'll be fine." She told him, but he wouldn't reconsider. "It would make me feel better if I did Ash." He confided to her as he followed her into her apartment. The first thing to catch his eye was the blinking messages on her machine. "How long have you been gone?" He questioned, slipping into his officer mode.  
  
Ashley looked at the clock. "About an hour and a half." She answered him. "And you have 14 messages?" He declared suspiciously. "That seems strange." Ashley agreed with him and pressed play as she set up the coffee maker.  
  
The only sound that came across her answering machine was what sounded like breathing noises. Ashley dropped the mug she was holding when she realized that all fourteen messages were the same. 


	4. Trust

Songs: Daniel Bedingfield, "If you're not the one" Back Street Boys, "I thought she knew."  
  
Chapter 3: Trust  
  
TJ hurried to Ashley's side as pieces of the mug scattered the floor. Her face was ghostly white and she looked like she was going to be sick. He gently grabbed her arm and maneuvered her away from the ceramic shards and seated her on the couch. TJ was convinced now more than before that Ashley wasn't lying. How could everyone else look past all the evidence? Granted he didn't know if it was Shelley or not, but until he found out if she was still in prison, he still considered her a suspect.  
  
"Ash, I don't think you should stay here alone." TJ began slowly, trying not to frighten her more. She glanced up at him in surprise before she jumped off the couch.  
  
"Where am I going to go TJ?" She retorted angrily as she quickly shook off the incident. "No one would believe me anyway." Ashley declared sadly as she sat back down.  
  
TJ sat down next to her." Listen Ashley, maybe it would help if I talked." He started to say but she interrupted him, "NO! TJ, you can't tell them. Promise me you won't tell them." She pleaded with the officer, grabbing his hands and staring at him. Tears glistened in her brown eyes, and TJ felt himself weakening.  
  
"Alright Ash. I won't tell them. But you can't stay here. I'll be off in about two hours, I'll come pick you up then and you can stay at my apartment." He offered as a compromise, to which Ashley quickly agreed.  
  
She heard the door shut behind him as he let himself out. Ashley closed her eyes trying to shut out the images that began to play in her mind. Reluctantly she swept up the pieces of the mug and threw them in the garbage. Ashley took her time in the shower, washing the dirt off her body from her near collision with the car. Inside she felt as damaged as she looked on the outside as she inspected the bruises that were scattered across her body.  
  
Ashley stood in front of the mirror as she brushed through the tangles in her wet hair. She paused to check out her reflection. She grimaced as she took in the pale complexion that had taken over her once beautiful tan. The dark circles under her eyes testified to the many sleepless nights she had suffered through, and the red eyes were results of the hours of crying over Andros. She could see the fresh bruises on her skin from her collision with the concrete curb this morning. She pulled the towel tighter around her, as she realized she had lost weight in the last few days. Staring at herself in the mirror she no longer recognized herself. Gone was the cheerful and fun loving girl she remembered being. In her place stood an anxious and tough girl, which was only looking to survive. She quickly packed a bag to take to TJ's, not knowing how long she would be there, and relieved that she wouldn't have to be alone.  
  
TJ opened the door to his apartment, and followed Ashley in. It was a simple two-bedroom apartment with a kitchen and living room but Ashley was impressed nonetheless. This was the first time she had been here, she thought guiltily. "I love your place Teej." She complimented him honestly. "I'm sorry I never came to visit you before." She apologized as she sat down on the couch with him and they dug into their Chinese food that TJ had picked up on his way to pick up Ashley.  
  
"Don't worry about it. I never thought we'd be as busy as we all are now, and we're not even Rangers." TJ cracked, making Ashley smile for the first time that day. She had forgotten how well her and TJ had always gotten along, he always made her feel at ease.  
  
"So how come you didn't want to stay with your dad?" TJ confronted her suddenly. She looked down, embarrassed. "He wants me to see a counselor. If I told him about everything that's been happening, I swear he'd have me committed." Tears sprung up in her eyes, and Ashley forcefully brushed them away, irritated at herself for giving into her tears once again.  
  
"I'm sorry Ash." TJ tried to console the troubled girl. He couldn't image how it would feel to have all your friends and family desert you. "You can stay here until we get this sorted out." TJ let the matter drop after that, allowing her to be distracted by the television. He was relieved when she fell asleep not long after, and he determined he would do whatever it took to see her through this.  
  
TJ sat there a few more minutes watching the brown haired beauty as she slept. "I hope Andros knows how lucky he is." He thought to himself as he finally dragged himself off to bed.  
  
As he lay in bed, he thought about the fact that he and Ashley didn't really know each other well. They were friends of course, as well as teammates, but with Carlos and Cassie around, the two of them never hung out alone much. He wasn't attracted to her, but he couldn't help but think she was beautiful. She was smart, fun to be with, and most of all caring and loyal. But even he could see the toll the last few days had taken on her. There was a sadness about her, and the hollowness in her eyes instead of their usual glowing sparkle gave her away.  
  
Monday morning.  
  
Cassie parked her car, and made her way through the parking lot to the grocery store. She stopped to tie her shoe, and when she glanced up she saw a suspicious scene. She saw Ashley leaving TJ's apartment. She kept looking at the pair hoping for some clue as to what was going on since she could not hear what they were saying.  
  
"I'll be working the late shift tonight so I probably won't see you until tomorrow." TJ said to her as he walked her out to her car.  
  
"Thanks for everything Teej." She spoke softly as she wrapped her arms around him to give him a big hug. "I don't know what I'd do without you", she added. Before pulling away she kissed his cheek to show her gratitude. He watched as she got in her car and drove away.  
  
Cassie hid behind a tree before TJ spotted her. "TJ and Ashley?" She wondered incredulously. Andros had mentioned that Ashley seemed distant these days, but surely she wouldn't cheat on him. And certainly not with TJ. But how could you explain that embrace? And the kiss? She waited until TJ had gone inside and hurried back home, her trip to the grocery store forgotten.  
  
At Kat's Café. Andros and Cassie were seated in a corner booth. She had called him on her cell phone on her way home and he agreed to meet her.  
  
"What's this all about Cass?" He greeted her cheerfully. Cassie paused. Maybe she shouldn't tell him, but he didn't deserve to be hurt, so she confessed what she had witnessed.  
  
"Um, well I was at the grocery store and I looked up and saw Ashley leaving TJ's apartment this morning." She explained slowly, hoping she didn't have to give any more details.  
  
To Andros' credit, he understood her meaning. "Ashley and TJ? Are you sure Cass?" Andros didn't want to believe her, but Ashley's behavior of late was certainly strange. He had thought it was because of the nightmares, but she hadn't informed him of any new incidents. And she had seemed a bit uncomfortable around him.  
  
"I know what I saw Andros. I'm sorry." She said contritely as she finished her coffee. Andros lost his appetite and quickly left the café. He needed to talk to Ashley. He was so filled with disappointment and anger that he never said goodbye to Cassie.  
  
She sighed. "Did I do the right thing?" she wondered, not knowing how the rest of the day's events would turn out.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Thanks for coming Ashley." Mr. Hammond greeted his daughter warmly as she stepped into the house. "I was just wondering if you had given more thought to my suggestions." He questioned purposefully, forgoing any pretense of trivial talk as they made their way into the kitchen.  
  
Ashley sighed, how many times do I have to convince him I'm not crazy! Her mind screamed at her, but she maintained her calm composure on the outside. Placing her hands on the counter, she turned to address her father.  
  
"Listen Dad. I'm sorry to have worried you and Jeff. I must have overreacted to having those nightmares again." She lied, hoping he would believe her. She hated having to lie to him, but she could not ignore the look of relief that appeared on his face when she admitted to having overreacted to the nightmares. She even pasted on a fake smile for his benefit.  
  
"I'm glad to hear that Ashley. I couldn't bear the thought of something happening to you." He declared, giving his daughter a huge hug. Ashley's mind rebelled against his sentiment. What if something does happen to me? What if it's too late for you to believe me? She cried to herself. She said goodbye to her dad, and as she glanced around as she left, she wished that all her feelings of danger would just go away. There was a huge wedge in her relationship with her father and brother, which would not go away until this matter was resolved. And then there was her relationship with Andros. She knew she was being distant with him, but what choice did he leave her when he refused to believe her?  
  
Ashley waited until after she left her father's house to release her anger. She had stopped by to see him on her way to school by his request, only to be bombarded by questions. She had hoped he would consider her feelings, but upon confrontation she realized he was just as stubborn as she was. There was no way she was going to tell him about all the other incidents, she determined.  
  
She still had an hour to spare before class and decided to take a walk down by the lake to relax herself. She was halfway there when Andros called on her cell phone and asked to meet her at the gardens. She agreed, hoping he would make her day better, as he usually seemed to do.  
  
"Hey!" she greeted him happily, chasing bitter thoughts of her morning away. She moved to hug him, but was dismayed when he pulled away.  
  
"Ash, I think we should talk." He began seriously, startling Ashley and dashing any hopes of salvaging her day. This can't be good. she thought dispiritly as they strolled through the gardens.  
  
Her fears were well founded when he continued. "Listen Ash. I have something I have to ask, and I need you to be honest with me."  
  
Ashley interrupted him at once declaring, "When have I not been honest with you?" she felt her walls go up in defense, not liking where this conversation was headed. She was so focused on him that she missed the beautiful scenery around her.  
  
"It's like this. Cassie saw you leaving TJ's apartment." He confessed to Ashley's puzzlement. "Early this morning." He finished, clarifying his statement.  
  
"And she thought?" Ashley gasped in horror. "And you thought?" She blurted out in disbelief. Before Andros could answer, she rambled on. "You thought I was cheating on you!" Her voice increased in volume. "With TJ?" she finished angrily. "Of all the things, Andros. Why would I cheat on you?" She finally quieted down, stopping to look at him.  
  
He could see the hurt all over her face. Could Cassie have been wrong? He thought, too late. "You've been sort of distant lately Ash." He argued, though he knew it was weak.  
  
Ashley could not contain herself anymore. "If I was distant lately it's because I wasn't sure about us Andros. I didn't know if you saw us as a serious couple or if we were just playing around." She admitted softly, turning away from him.  
  
"Why didn't you just ask me?" He questioned her curiously, watching her gaze across the field.  
  
She waited a few minutes before turning back to him." I was afraid. I was afraid that you might not love me as much as I love you Andros." She confessed tearfully. He reached out to her but she stepped out of the way.  
  
"I do love you Ash." he started to say but she continued to move farther away from him.  
  
"Those are just words Andros. You don't act like it. If you don't trust me, how can you love me?" She queried honestly. Her point hit home, as he was rendered speechless. He could not coax the words out of his mouth, though his breaking heart was desperately pleading with him to do so.  
  
"I'm sorry Ash." He whispers sadly, feeling like they had just crossed the point of no return.  
  
"I am too." She replies. "I think we both need some time and space to think things over." Her statement hung over the two them like a dark cloud. There were so many things they both wanted to say, things they should have said before, and now it looked like it might be too late.  
  
She began to walk away but turned back for one last moment. "I love you Andros. I hope we can make it back to each other someday. Soon." She had to say it. She knew she would regret it if something did happen to her. She would remember the look on his face forever. His hazel eyes filled with tears, his face full of regret. Walking away was the hardest thing she had ever done. But like she reminded herself, if he didn't trust her, how could he love her? Determined, she continued walking. Walking out of the garden, and away from Andros. She knew it was right, even though her heart felt like it was shattering in a million pieces. They needed some time to think things through.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I don't want to run away but I can't take it, I don't understand If I'm not made for you then why does my heart tell me that I am? Is there any way that I can stay in your arms?"  
  
The chorus ran through her head as she slowly made her way to class. The Daniel Bedingfield song had been playing when she parked her car in the campus parking lot. As she thought about those words, she decided against going to class, and voted to drown her sorrows in a Grande latte from the college coffee shop instead.  
  
Ashley had almost convinced herself that she would be okay, when she spotted Carlos and Cassie coming her way from across the campus lawn. She was going to attempt to hide from them when all the anger of the past week bubbled to the surface and she couldn't keep it all inside anymore. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Andros groaned as yet another sad love song came over the radio. But he was too depressed to change the station. He recognized the song as a Back street Boys song that he heard once. Ashley loved all the cheesy boy band music.  
  
"She was my once in a lifetime, Happy ending come true Oh I guess I should have told her I thought she knew She said I took her for granted That's the last thing I would do Whoa I'll never understand it I thought she knew I thought she knew  
  
How did this happen? He thought. How could she not have known how much I loved her? I still love her. He corrected himself. He could still see the hurt in her eyes when he confronted her. She was right, how could he believe she would cheat on him? She had never done anything to make him not trust her, and in less than a week, he found himself doubting her constantly. Did he love her? He asked himself honestly, and the unbearable loneliness that surrounded him confirmed that he did.  
  
I thought she knew My world revolved around her My love light burned for her alone But she couldn't see the flame Only myself to blame I should have known I should have known  
  
She stood by me when she had no reason to believe. She never questioned me. And anytime I needed her, whether I knew it or not, she as always by my side. And the first time she needs me, I don't believe her. He berated himself for his stupidity. The real question should be how could she love me? He wondered as he continued to slip into despair.  
  
A heart full of words left unspoken Now that we're through I'd sell my soul to have this silence broken Oh I thought she knew I thought she knew"  
  
I was so afraid of losing her that I never opened up to her. He recalled all those times he could have told her how much he loved her. And that fear of losing her has actually caused me that which I dreaded the most, having to live without her. He was sure there could never be anyone else for him. He would have to find some way to get her back. Resolved, he removed himself from his bedroom and vowed to make it right.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Hey Ash!" Carlos greeted the brown haired girl, unaware of what had just happened. She ignored him as she stood face to face to confront Cassie. She simply stared for a minute before going into her tirade.  
  
"Thanks a lot Cass!" Ashley shouted furiously. "Why didn't you ask me before telling Andros that TJ and I were having an affair?" She dared the dark haired girl to reply.  
  
"What? Did I miss something?" Carlos asked in bewilderment. Ashley shot him a look that made him shut up. He thought she was totally crazy until he noticed Cassie squirming uncomfortably next to him. What is going on here? He wondered.  
  
"I just told him what I saw Ash." Cassie tried to explain, pleading with her friend to believe her.  
  
"And what did you see Cassie?" She asked in quiet voice that demanded an answer, crossing her arms waiting her response.  
  
"I saw you leaving TJ's apartment this morning." She finally answered, knowing how lame that sounded.  
  
"So anytime I leave someone's apartment, you should assume that I'm cheating on Andros?" She asked in disbelief, her face turning red with anger. "And with TJ? I mean he's a great friend, but come on Cass." She exclaimed in disbelief.  
  
Cassie had no answer for her. "I'm sorry Ash, I know I should have asked you first." She apologized, but to no avail. Ashley was understandably upset, and showed no signs of calming down.  
  
"Yeah you should have Cass." Ashley replied in an unforgiving tone of voice. "And for your information, TJ and I aren't dating, and now thanks to you, neither are me and Andros." She shocked them with her statement, and rushed away from the scene. Cassie and Carlos were speechless. Carlos was about to ask her about what happened when another person arrived.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "She's not cheating on me." He angrily informed the duo, though he was so focused on Cassie, he didn't know Carlos was even there.  
  
"I know. She just ripped into me." Cassie reported quietly to Andros; hoping to calm him down. She didn't know if she could take another fight. "I didn't know she would break up with you." She commented in disbelief as she looked down at her shoes, disgusted with herself for overreacting.  
  
"Well she did." Andros declared. "And now you have to help me figure out a way to get her back." He commanded, as his anger slowly dissipated, replaced by sorrow. Carlos finally interjected, taking pity on the pair and he led them to the coffee shop to discuss the plan of action.  
  
Ashley spent the last hour before she had to go to work wandering aimlessly through downtown Angel Grove. She was so caught up in her thoughts, she totally missed any of the sales going on around her. The sounds of laughter and the sights of couples totally depressed her as she made her way to the boutique. Hopefully work would keep her mind occupied for a few hours.  
  
4 PM  
  
As she pushed open the door she was ambushed by her co-workers, who were relieved to be leaving. "Hey Ash!" Tara called cheerfully as she quickly made her exit. Ashley went to wave but the bubbly red head was already out the door. She shook her head as she clocked in to begin her shift.  
  
"Thanks for closing for me Ashley, I really appreciate it." Kari declared gratefully as she clocked out herself.  
  
"No problem Kar. Have a great time on your date tonight. You better call me with all the details." She mock threatened her friend who was grinning from ear to ear.  
  
"Better yet I'll tell you myself tomorrow. I switched with Andie to work tomorrow with you." Kari announced happily. Ashley grinned at her friend's antics. She was glad for her. But thinking of her friend's upcoming date reminded her of the events she had unsuccessful tried to forget. The grin faded as she recalled the ugly scene from the morning when she had broken up with Andros.  
  
"Are you okay Ash?" Kari asked suddenly, sensing a difference in her mood, as Ashley stared off into space.  
  
"Andros and I broke up this morning." She quietly confided in her co-worker as the two talked freely since there were no customers in the store.  
  
"Oh Ash. I'm so sorry. I know you loved him." She consoled the distressed girl. "What happened?" Ashley explained the whole episode while Kari listened intently. "Do you still love him?" she gently inquired. Ashley could only nod her confirmation.  
  
"How about I cancel my date, and after work you and I will go out and get totally plastered." Kari suggested, finally getting Ashley to crack a smile.  
  
"It's alright Kar. You go and have a good time. I just want to be alone anyway." She confessed. Kari finally agreed to go on her date. As she was about to leave, she remembered what she had to tell Ashley. "Some lady was in here earlier looking for you." Ashley thinks nothing of it, as she is too preoccupied.  
  
The day passes by slowly as few customers pass through the store. Ashley doesn't mind the loneliness; she keeps herself busy by folding clothes and making a new display for the front window.  
  
7 PM  
  
Ashley takes her salad from the refrigerator and sits down with her novel to enjoy a quiet dinner.  
  
In the dark isolated parking lot behind the motel, the woman loads up her trunk with the necessary supplies. She goes over her list one more time. Satisfied, she closes the trunk and drives her car to the nearest gas station to fill up with gas. It's almost time for her to put her plan into action.  
  
With darkness already arrived, she pulls her Honda accord onto an unpaved gravel road behind an abandoned junkyard and parks it. She waits until 8:45pm to leave the car. She pulled on a large hooded sweatshirt, and stuck an old baseball hat on her now blonde head. Throwing away her cigarette, she moves into position, lurking in the shadows as she awaits the girl who has ruined her life. She controls her breathing as to not alert anyone to the extra presence in the parking lot. She holds a brick in her left hand, ready to immobilize Ashley when the moment arises.  
  
Ashley looked up with a start as the clock chimed nine times. Finally closing time, she thought with a small smile. Maybe I can go to bed and forget this terrible day." She decided hopefully as she locked the front door and switched the sign to closed. She locked the register and put the books in the safe. Turning off the lights, she slid her time card through the clock. 9:04PM it read as she put it back in her designated slot. Grabbing her purse she exited through the back door.  
  
She didn't have to wait long. At 9:05 PM, Ashley left through the back exit to Nonchalance and headed unconcerned to her car. Shelley crept up on the unsuspecting girl, as Ashley put her keys in her door to open her Volkswagen, a strong blow to her head had her crumpling to the ground, completely unconscious. Shelley tossed the brick away and grabbed under Ashley's arms and pulled the girl away from her car and through the woods to where her car was waiting.  
  
Shelley laid Ashley on the ground besides her car and tied her arms and feet. She placed a bandana over her eyes and one in her mouth to keep her quiet in case she awoke. And for extra measure, she injected Ashley with a sedative before laying her on the floor of the back of the car. Smirking to herself for a job well done, she threw a blanket over the lifeless girl and closed the door. Shelley hopped into the drivers seat and took off, beginning the journey to her final destination. 


	5. Disappearance

Chapter 4: Disappearance  
  
Thanks to everyone for the reviews!  
  
Driving down Interstate 29, Shelley keeps looking in her rearview mirror and is relieved to find no one following her, and second, Ashley still unconscious in the back seat. Not that she could put up a fight or anything. She thought with a wicked gleam in her eye. She'd probably break a nail or something. Shelley laughed to herself. She had worked out each and every day of the twelve years she had spent incarcerated in that prison. Her body was toned and strengthened so much that she was not afraid to use it. Shelley had learned how to survive while in prison, and she intended to use those lessons to exact her revenge. She turned up the radio and relaxed as the next two hours flew by.  
  
11:30 PM Monday night.  
  
Shelley turns off the car lights and pulls up next to an old abandoned house. Shutting off the motor she grabbed the keys to the house and quickly found what she was looking for. Opening the cellar door she descended into the basement and prepared it for Ashley's stay, adding a blanket and gallons of water to ensure she stayed alive for as long as Shelley wanted. Satisfied, adrenaline rushed through her body as she raced up the stairs and outside to her car where Ashley was stowed away.  
  
Removing the blanket, she could still see the girl was not awake. She pulled Ashley out of the car and removed the ropes from her ankles. Shelley grabbed under her arms and dragged her into the house and stopped at the basement door, when she felt the girl stirring.  
  
"What is going on?" Ashley murmured as she tried to force her eyes to open. As she became more awake, she was aware of an intense headache and the feel of someone's arms around her. As she struggled to get away from her captor, she startled Shelley. Scared, Shelley pushed the girl down the stairs, locking the door firmly shut behind her. She leaned against the door trying to catch her breath. That was too close, She fumed.  
  
Ashley landed with a painful thud on the dark and cold basement floor. She had fully awakened as her body had collided with each and every stair on her quick and awkward descent. She tried to focus her eyes amid the shadows in the room, the only light coming through a tiny cracked window six feet up on the wall. But the pain in her head proved too much and she grimaced as darkness overcame her once again, her body lying limp on the floor.  
  
Shelley stayed at the door listening for any sounds to indicate any foolish attempts on Ashley's part to escape. She had chosen this location because of its remoteness and the basement had one door and a tiny window that no one could fit through. Deciding that all was quiet in the basement, she retired to her bedroom to rest up for what was sure to be another eventful day.  
  
Tuesday, 10 am.  
  
Kari walked down the street, excited to see Ashley and tell her all about her date last night. She practically floated towards Nonchalance but was surprised when she found it dark and locked. The closed sign still hung where Ashley had left it. She peered in the window, but could see no sign of her friend. She recalled how upset Ashley had been last night; she figured maybe she called out. Kari pulled out her cell phone and called their boss Marissa.  
  
"Hello?" Marissa chirped as she answered the phone.  
  
"Hey Marissa. It's Kari. I was wondering if Ashley had called out today?" She inquired of her boss.  
  
"No. Why Kari?" Marissa responded, curious as to why Kari would think that.  
  
"Well, I just got to the store. But no one's here. And the closed sign is still up." She declared, a bit worried now that Ashley hadn't called out, and wasn't at work.  
  
"Hang on, I'll be right over." Marissa told her as she hung up the phone. She raced around the apartment looking for something to wear. She decided to call Ashley on her way to the store, to check and see if maybe she overslept. Ashley was her best employee, it was not like her not to show up. But Ashley didn't answer her phone, so Marissa didn't bother leaving a message.  
  
Marissa was about to enter through the front door, when she decided instead to go around and enter in the back. When she walked into the parking lot, she was in shock. There in the parking lot was Ashley's yellow Volkswagen beetle. Upon closer inspection, she saw the keys in the car door. She turned around to go find Kari, but the girl had followed closely on her heels. Kari went white as a ghost when she too saw her friend's car abandoned. Marissa escorted Kari into the store and called the police immediately.  
  
At the police station.  
  
"Johnson!" Captain Harris hollered down the hallway. TJ jumped to his feet and hurried to see what his boss wanted. The captain ushered him inside and closed the door behind him.  
  
"What is it Captain?" TJ inquired, curious as to why he had called him so urgently.  
  
"I just got a call from a woman downtown. She said her employee never showed up to open the store this morning." Captain Harris explained slowly. Sympathetically he continued, "I'm afraid it has to do with your friend who was here yesterday."  
  
"Ashley?" TJ whispered in disbelief. Captain Harris nodded his confirmation. "The lady said her car was still in the parking lot, and her keys were in the car door."  
  
"Do you suspect foul play?" TJ wanted to know, needed to know.  
  
"That's what we're going to find out. Are you up to working on this investigation?" His boss questioned him seriously, looking TJ right in the eyes.  
  
TJ shook off his shock. He had to help Ashley. He nodded his acceptance of the assignment. Captain Harris gathered up another team, and soon they were on their way downtown.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Who called this in?" Captain Harris asked as he entered the boutique to gather information.  
  
"I did." Marissa stated quietly as the policemen filtered into her store. "Ashley was supposed to open this morning, but when Kari got here, no one was here." She explained.  
  
"And she's not at home?" The captain questioned.  
  
"I called her but no one answered." Marissa admitted.  
  
"She was staying with me." TJ confessed. "I'll call and see if she's there." He volunteered quickly.  
  
"Don't bother TJ. It would be quite a walk to your place from here, since her car is still here. Let's take a look at it first and see if we find any clues." Captain Harris decided firmly, suspecting that the girl had been a victim of violence, as he led the way out to the parking lot. He approached the car and set his men to look for clues in the parking lot.  
  
"I found something!" Lt. Gibson shouted from a few feet away. "Bring me an evidence bag." He called to TJ. TJ hurried over with a plastic bag, with the Captain right behind him.  
  
"A brick. Are you sure it's evidence?" He quizzed the Lieutenant doubtfully. Lt. Gibson turned it over carefully to reveal a stain of blood on the bottom corner. He gave his approval to place the brick in the bag, and the other officers hurried off to find more clues as to Ashley's strange disappearance. The appearance of the brick gave them hope that more evidence would be found.  
  
TJ stared at the pavement as he followed the scuffmarks away from the car. "Where could she have gone?" he thought to himself as he looked for markings of another car that would have taken her away.  
  
"Anything Johnson?" Captain Harris questioned the young officer. "It seems that the assailant used the brick as a weapon to knock her unconscious and dragged her away from her car." He theorized, they couldn't be certain until the blood was tested from the brick. "I just don't know where she was dragged to. There is no evidence of another car being in the parking lot." He declared frustrated.  
  
"Maybe she was carried out?" Lt. Gibson suggested. "Or maybe the assailant took her through the wooded area over there." Officer Kaplan volunteered even as he made his way to the far side of the parking lot. Taking out his flashlight, he began a spot search for any traces of Ashley in the woods. TJ rushed to follow him, hoping to find anything that would help him find Ashley.  
  
There were a few minutes of fruitless searching until Officer Jones shouted back to TJ, "Was she wearing a yellow sweater yesterday?" TJ's mind raced to recall what she had been wearing when he saw her off the morning before. He took a deep breath and soon he remembered her exact outfit. "She was wearing white Capri's with yellow, black, and blue stripes, a yellow tank top and a yellow sweater." He informed his fellow officers.  
  
"You better come check this out." Officer Jones called out and TJ hurried to inspect his findings. TJ stopped in horror when he spotted a small patch of yellow fabric snagged on a tree branch on the ground. He knelt down and gently pulled it away and placed it into an evidence bag. A few more minutes of searching turned up no new clues, so they headed back to the boutique.  
  
"Is there anyone who would have a grudge against Ashley? Anyone come looking for her?" Captain Harris probed the two girls. Marissa was about to answer No, when Kari jumped in with some information.  
  
"I was working yesterday, and some lady came in looking for Ashley. She asked me when she would be working and I told her she was closing." Kari confessed as she began to cry, upset that she might be somewhat responsible for her friend going missing.  
  
"It's okay miss. She may or may not have anything to do with Ashley's appearance. And even if she did, it isn't your fault for telling her Ashley's schedule." The captain assured the distressed girl. He turned to Marissa, "Do you have any security videos in your store?" Marissa nodded and went to the back room to eject the tape from the VCR.  
  
When she returned she placed it in the bag that TJ held open for her. Captain Harris hung up his phone. "The tow truck is coming down to pick up Ashley's car, we'll keep it at the impound until she gets back." He informed his officers, and they politely said their goodbyes to Kari and Marissa as they left.  
  
"You'll tell me if you find anything right?" Kari pleaded with TJ before he left. "If there's anything I can do to help, please let me know." TJ nodded solemnly as he finally left.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ He sat in the car with his partner Lt. Gibson, but he was quiet all the way to the station. How the hell was he going to explain this to Mr. Hammond and Jeff? Not to mention to Andros and the others. His partner noticed his silence and commented, "We're going to get her back TJ." "I know Chris." He agreed quickly and Lt. Gibson didn't say another word all the way back to the station, allowing TJ to think about the situation and clear his head.  
  
The forensics team was already waiting for them in the crime lab when they arrived. Dr. Murphy quickly took the evidence they had collected and began looking for DNA to verify that Ashley's blood was on the brick.  
  
Calvin, the technology expert on the force, scanned the video through the citizens' databank on the computer to find a match for the woman on the video.  
  
The next fifteen minutes seemed like an eternity to TJ. The clues that they had found could be very valuable or totally worthless. He quickly finished his third cup of coffee, when Dr. Murphy came in with his results.  
  
"The blood on the brick is 100% verified as Ashley Hammond's." He announced to the group of officers assigned to the case. TJ sighed in relief that they knew for sure how she had been taken. Now they just had to figure out, who took her, where they took her, and why they took her.  
  
Hope was dashed when Calvin declared a few moments later, "We could not find a match for the woman on the video anywhere in our databanks." TJ leaned on the desk in front of him, placing his hands over his face. The question who could have done this ran through his mind, as his brain raced to make sense of the facts that they knew.  
  
"Johnson!" The clerk called as he raced into the crime lab. TJ looked up to see Jeremy racing towards him with a paper in his hand. "This fax just came in from Dover. Shelley Martinson has escaped from the prison." TJ stared at the fax in shock. Ashley was right, and now he had the proof.  
  
"Who's this Martinson woman?" Captain Harris demanded to know as he approached TJ's desk.  
  
"She was Ashley's stepmother. She was put away 12 years ago for child abuse, and for killing her three year old daughter." TJ explained.  
  
"Do you think she's the one responsible for your friend's disappearance?" He questioned the young officer seriously.  
  
TJ nodded. "Ashley told me that she had seen her around town, and there had been a number of disturbing incidents that would give her claim credence." He informed the group and they set into action a plan to investigate Shelley Martinson as the main suspect in the Ashley Hammond disappearance case.  
  
"Kaplan and Jones, you two go to Dover and interview the warden and anyone who knew Ms. Martinson." Captain Harris commanded as he gave out case assignments. The two officers left immediately as the Captain continued. "Murphy, get a picture of Ms. Martinson and see if it matches the woman on the surveillance tape."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ashley woke up the glare of the sun beaming down on her from the barred window above. Blinking her eyes and forcing them open, her body protested when she tried to move. "What the hell?" she thought as her eyes opened wide and she took in her strange surroundings. "Where am I? What happened?" She tried to push herself up into a sitting position, but her arms refused to hold the weight and they buckled and she fell back onto the floor. Pain shot through her left wrist and up her arm, as she fought back the tears. "You can't cry now Ash. You got to be strong." She reminded herself. Trying again, she ignored the pain in her wrist and got herself up onto her knees. She crawled until her back was against the wall and looked around. The place certainly seemed familiar, but she didn't know why.  
  
It was a small basement with just the one window and one door. In the corner was a toilet and sink and not much else to fill the room. Ashley closed her eyes as her head began to spin as a massive headache pulsated through her head. She didn't even hear the door open and the person coming down the stairs.  
  
"You're awake I see." The woman laughed as she carried down a tray of toast and juice and setting it in front of her prisoner.  
  
Ashley just stared at the woman in horror, much to the woman's delight. "Shelley?" she whispered in shock. "I knew I saw you." She declared in disgust. "Why are you doing this?" the girl demanded to know.  
  
"Come on Ashley. I know you're not that stupid. I've been locked up in a horrible prison for twelve years. I want my revenge. Now you're going to know what it's like to be imprisoned against your will." Shelley avowed firmly.  
  
"The only difference is you deserved it!" Ashley shouted at her captor. Shelley laughed at her bravado.  
  
"Doesn't matter now, does it Ashley? I'm free and you're not." Shelley taunted her as she turned to go up the stairs.  
  
Ashley answered back. "Not for long. My friends will find me and you'll be back in prison." She stated more optimistically than she felt.  
  
"Oh you think so? Would those friends be the ones who thought you were crazy? They didn't believe you; they probably won't even miss you. And that boyfriend of yours, excuse me, ex-boyfriend will probably find another girlfriend before the week is out. So believe what you want, but they won't find you. NO one will." Shelley stormed up the stairs, leaving Ashley steaming below.  
  
"You might have hurt me when I was 7, but I'll be damned if I let you hurt me again. This time I'm going to fight back." Ashley vowed to herself as she began to consume her breakfast, to keep her strength up. She would find a way out of here; she would just have to be patient. She knew she would only get one chance, and she'd have to make it count.  
  
Tuesday, 1 pm  
  
"Lt. Gibson, and Lt. Kirk, investigate Ashley's claims and get as much evidence as you can that would connect them to Ms. Martinson. And see if you can out where she was staying." Captain Harris assigned the next two officers.  
  
"TJ, are you up to going with me to see Ashley's family?" Captain Harris asked the young officer. TJ complied with his request, though he was dreading it. But duty called and he had to fulfill his obligations to the law and to his friend.  
  
"TJ!" Jeff said in surprise as he opened the door to see his friend. TJ didn't respond as enthusiastically, and Jeff understood when he opened the door further to reveal the police captain standing next to him. He quickly invited the two policemen inside as he went to retrieve his father from his office.  
  
The two male Hammonds sat on the couch in the living room as TJ and Captain Harris informed them of the situation.  
  
"We found Ashley's car abandoned at work this morning. Her keys were in the door but she was no where to be found." TJ began as Jeff and Mr. Hammond listened in disbelief. "We have conclusive evidence that Ashley was involved in foul play, as there was a brick in the parking lot with her blood on it." He continued as gently as possible.  
  
"Oh my god." Mr. Hammond murmured. Jeff interrupted TJ before he could speak again, "Do you have any idea who did it?" He asked quietly.  
  
TJ looked uncomfortable and Jeff could feel his heart stop as he waited for his friend to answer. "Yes. We got a fax this morning from Dover Psychiatric prison confirming the escape of one of their inmates, Shelley Martinson."  
  
Jeff looked like he was going to be sick. "She was right. Ashley was right." He said to himself in complete disbelief. Mr. Hammond simply sat there, not moving.  
  
Captain Harris informed the distraught pair. "We are doing everything in our power to find her and bring her back safely. Her return is our topmost priority."  
  
"What do we do now?" Mr. Hammond wanted to know.  
  
"I'm afraid the only thing for you to do now is wait. We'll work as hard as we can to find her." Captain Harris said sympathetically. Mr. Hammond nodded.  
  
"Who's going to tell everyone else?" Jeff wondered. TJ answered him, knowing Jeff hadn't been asking the question to anyone, but had pity on Ashley's brother and replied, "I'll take care of it Jeff." Jeff looked relieved, he didn't think he could stomach the idea of having to tell her friends; he was still in too much shock himself.  
  
Adam was sitting at his desk in the office he shared with Jason and Tommy when the phone rang." Hello. Triple Dragon Dojo, Adam speaking." He said excited, hoping it was his wife calling.  
  
"Hey Adam. It's TJ. Were you hoping it was someone else?" He questioned with a laugh. Adam laughed, a bit embarrassed. "Maybe. What's going on TJ?"  
  
"I'm afraid it's something serious Adam. I need your help." TJ explained gravely to his old friend.  
  
"What is it TJ?" Adam inquired worried. TJ was almost never serious. "Can you get a hold of all the rangers and meet me at Kat's café at 4pm?" TJ questioned. "Yeah sure TJ. We'll be there." Adam confirmed. He was curious as to why the need to gather all the rangers.  
  
"Was that Kat on the phone?" Jason teased Adam as he hung up the phone. Jason put his folder on the desk and awaited a reply to his question. Adam turned around slowly, and looked at Jason. "No, it was TJ. He needs us to get a hold of everybody and meet him at Kat's at 4pm." He informed his co- owner.  
  
"Did he say what about?" Jason said, confused as to what was going on. "No." Adam replied. "But it sounds serious." Jason nodded. "Alright then. I'll call the original group, Tommy will call the Zeo team and can you call the Astro team." Jason delegated as he went back into the Dojo to tell Tommy what was going on. He got the other karate teachers to cover their classes so they could attend the meeting.  
  
Tuesday, 4PM  
  
"Does anyone know what this is all about?" Rocky wondered aloud to the group of former rangers gathered at the café. Rocky, Aisha, and Tanya were seated at one table next to Adam and Kat, and Tommy and Kim. Jason sat with Billy, Trini, and Zach. Carlos and Justin came in next followed by Cassie.  
  
"I have no idea. TJ sounded like it was serious." Adam informed the group. "It's almost 4pm now, I'm sure he'll be here soon to tell us what's going on." Just then the last two rangers entered, Andros and Zhane.  
  
"What's going on?" Andros demanded as he entered the café. "I'm afraid we don't know any more than you do." Carlos replied as the two Kerovians joined him and Justin and Cassie.  
  
"Here's TJ now." Jason announced to the group. The café went silent as TJ made his way in and to the front of the group. Zhane noticed how uncomfortable he looked, how he was afraid to make eye contact with any of them. 'This must be really bad.' He thought to himself as he waited patiently for TJ to begin.  
  
TJ stood at the front of the group and took a deep breath to collect his thoughts. He still couldn't believe what he had to tell the others His hands were shaking he was so nervous, he felt like he was going to be sick. Still, he had to be strong for the others and Ashley. Finally he spoke, "Thanks for coming here on such short notice. The reason I called you all here, is because as of 3 o'clock this afternoon, Ashley Hammond was officially declared missing." 


	6. Reflections

Chapter 5: Reflections  
  
The whole room went deathly silent as TJ's announcement sunk in. Perhaps it was just a sick joke, but the look on TJ's face told them otherwise.  
  
"Missing?" Zhane dared to question aloud. "How can this be?" He wondered in disbelief. 'What the hell happened in the last few months?' he thought to himself. 'Didn't we get rid of evil?'  
  
"What happened?" Andros whispered in complete shock. Everyone focused their eyes on TJ as he began to explain what had happened.  
  
"Ashley didn't show up for work this morning, and her car was still in the parking lot. When we arrived on the scene we found evidence to suspect that she was a victim of a premeditated act of violence. We got a fax this morning that confirmed that her step mom had escaped from prison." TJ announced reluctantly to the group.  
  
He watched their reactions as reality set in. Andros slumped in his chair, holding his head in his hands. Carlos tried to comfort Justin while taking it all in himself. Everyone in the room knew Ashley and couldn't believe this was happening. Some of the girls started crying.  
  
"Why?" Tommy thought to himself. Kim, Adam, and Kat asked themselves the same question.  
  
Cassie looked like she was going to be sick. "Oh my god." Cassie gasped. "I can't believe it." She whispered, as tears began to form in her chocolate brown eyes.  
  
"How could we not have believed her?" Andros cried out, breaking the fragile silence as his fist connected with the table. Zhane put his hand on his arm to restrain him. Andros shook it off, and Zhane went to stand with TJ.  
  
"We should have seen it coming. All those incidents, they weren't coincidences were they TJ?" Carlos questioned fearfully. All of a sudden the once quiet room was alive as the many voices tried to come to grasp the horrible situation.  
  
"I shouldn't have accused her of cheating on you." Cassie apologized to Andros. "And I shouldn't have confronted her, I should have trusted her." He confessed.  
  
TJ tried to reclaim control over the room. But the worry and anxiety they all felt had taken over, and he sensed his friends getting overwhelmed. Frustrated, he yelled, "Blaming yourselves is not going to bring Ashley back! We have to stick to the task at hand, which is to get her back. That is our only concern. Nothing else!" His loud voice cut through the conversations.  
  
"He's right. We have to focus on Ashley." Zhane declared quietly as the room calmed down. "What can we do Teej?" The former silver ranger inquired.  
  
TJ continued on, sharing with them how they can help. "We need to gather information and figure out where Shelley has her hidden. We're going to pass out fliers and see if anything comes up."  
  
Cassie finally looked up, relieved to have a plan of action to save her best friend. "Will there be a ransom?" TJ hesitated, afraid to answer the one question he hoped they would not ask, but not before a look of distress flashed across his face.  
  
"Give it to us straight TJ." Tommy commanded the officer as he saw the look on his face. Clearly TJ did not want to tell them, but he had no choice but to be honest.  
  
"We don't believe there will be a ransom." TJ replied finally. He closed his eyes, trying not to see the looks of pain in their eyes. "Why not?" Carlos asked in confusion. "I thought in most kidnapping situations, there was a ransom." Andros knew the answer to Carlos's question, but waited to hear the dreaded answer from TJ.  
  
"That's true Carlos. But in this case, Shelley has what she wants. She didn't kidnap Ashley for money. Her motivation was revenge." He explained, trying to soften the blow.  
  
"What aren't you saying?" Jason wondered calmly, trying not to stir up the group, as they resisted believing the terrible truth that Ashley was in extreme danger.  
  
"I'm saying that time is of the essence in bringing Ashley back home." TJ said simply. He grabbed a stack of fliers off the counter and began walking around the café, handing them out.  
  
Adam, Kat, Kim and Tommy were the first team out of the café. Tommy stopped by Andros's table on his way out. "We'll get her back man." He reassured the distressed Kerovian. Andros simply nodded; he didn't have the energy to do anything else. In the matter of a few minutes, the various teams were hitting the streets of Angel Grove with the fliers of their missing friend. TJ hoped they would be able to gather some information from the fliers.  
  
Kari sat in the front of the empty store numbly, wishing she could be out there looking for her missing friend. "If only I hadn't switched with Ashley, she would still be here." She said regretfully. "And if I hadn't told that lady she was working, none of this would have happened."  
  
"How do you know?" Her boss questioned the distraught girl as she came out of the back room. "You didn't know that lady was crazy or what would happen. It's not your fault Kari. Stop blaming yourself. I know Ashley wouldn't blame you either." Marissa consoled the younger girl.  
  
"I just hope she's alright." Kari sobbed into Marissa shoulder, as the woman held her tightly to comfort her.  
  
"Ashley's a fighter. It's just a matter of time until she comes back to us." Marissa declared optimistically. Her statement caused Kari to look up. "Yeah, we have to believe she's coming back." She agreed hopefully. She got up and went to fix the front display, anything to pass the time until she got off work and could go help find Ashley.  
  
Zhane and Andros were walking around the park, stapling fliers on telephone poles and handing them out to various passerbies. Andros was quiet, too quiet Zhane thought.  
  
"Andros, I know you're upset. But I think it has to do with more than just Ashley missing." Zhane began. He had been separated from his best friend for months, but he sensed that he was about to unravel.  
  
"Isn't that enough?" Andros cried out in frustration. Zhane wasn't backing down as he stared down the brown haired boy. "She broke up with me yesterday." Zhane stopped walking, he was so shocked. That was the last thing he expected to hear. "And it's all my fault." Andros finished dejectedly.  
  
Zhane motioned Andros to sit down on the bench overlooking the lake. He sat there waiting for Andros to continue. "Cassie told me she had seen Ashley leaving TJ's apartment early in the morning."  
  
"And you believed that Ashley was having an affair with TJ?" Zhane interrupted his explanation. He just started laughing.  
  
"What's so funny?" Andros demanded of the blond haired boy.  
  
"I can't believe that you would believe that." Zhane said as he tried to control his disbelief. He stopped suddenly when he noticed a strange look on Andros's face. "You didn't tell her that did you?" He asked, his eyes opening wide in shock.  
  
Andros's silence was confirmation. "Oh man. Was she mad?" Zhane asked. "Mad isn't the word I would use. It was more like disappointment, and hurt. I've never seen her look so sad. And I never thought I would be the one to make her feel that way."  
  
"Listen Andros, it was a big misunderstanding. You two were meant to be together, I know you'll work it out. It will just take some time." He counseled wisely.  
  
"It never should have happened Zhane!" Andros yelled. "I should have believed her, but I didn't and look what happened."  
  
"It's not your fault Andros!" Zhane hollered back, trying to get through to the stubborn boy. "Come on, we've got work to do." He declared firmly, pulling Andros off the bench, refusing to let him give into his self-pity.  
  
'So far, so good.' She thought to herself as she prepared herself for the next part of her plan. Confident in her ability to succeed, she was aiming to not only take care of Ashley but her brother as well. She figured that in a few days everyone would stop looking for the girl and assume she was dead. Shelley smiled at that thought. 'Finally, she would get what she deserved.'  
  
'That brat has always had what she wanted. And now it's my turn. I'll have my freedom and my revenge. By the time I'm through with her and her idiot brother, they will only be a faint memory to friends and family.' She gloated to herself as she fixed dinner for her hostage.  
  
Tuesday, 6pm  
  
"Eat up dear." Shelley taunted Ashley as she brought down her dinner. Ashley jumped at the sound of her voice, waking out of her fitful sleep. She accepted the dinner but remained quiet, she didn't want Shelley to hurt her anymore. It would be hard enough in her current condition to escape, but Ashley still held out hope. She refused to give into the despair that threatened to overwhelm her. She watched silently as the older woman climbed back up the stairs, humming a happy tune.  
  
Ashley finished the soup and bread and tried to get herself in a comfortable position. She was starting to go stir crazy after being inside all day. "And I thought yesterday couldn't have gotten any worse." She said to herself as she recalled the incidents of the day before. "I wonder if Andros misses me." The thought of her boyfriend, or ex-boyfriend, pushed Ashley over the edge. Tears streamed down her face as she thought about all their times together. "Why didn't he believe me?" she wondered. "What if I don't get out of here?" "Stop it!" she yelled at herself. "I've got to believe that I'll get out of here. TJ will find me." Thoughts of her loyal friend filled her with hope. "I will make it back to my family and to Andros." She promised herself. She realized she still loved him, and hoped they could work things out. The loneliness she was going through right now convinced her that she couldn't live without him; somehow they'd have to make it work.  
  
She quickly turned her thoughts to another subject. "Why did this happen?" That question haunted Ashley for the rest of the night, and even into her dreams as she slipped into an uneasy rest.  
  
Tuesday 9pm  
  
TJ closed the door to his office hoping for some peace and quiet. IT was the first time he had sat down in hours. Slipping into his chair, his thoughts immediately went to Ashley.  
  
"Where are you Ashley? His mind tried to come up with any possible location. "I will find you. I promise I won't rest until I do." He vowed to himself. He still couldn't believe this was happening, it seemed so unreal. He knew the rest of their friends were counting on him to be strong. The events of the day played through his mind; from the moment they found her car to the time they received the fax. Sitting up at his desk, he determined to continue searching through all the evidence until something turned up that would lead them to Ashley.  
  
"Hey TJ." Lt. Gibson called in as he opened the door. TJ looked up at his partner and waited for him to continue. "The captain set up a call center for information from the fliers. They've already received a bunch of tips. I thought you might want to go and check it out." TJ practically jumped out of his chair as he quickly followed Gibson out of the office. Officially their shift had ended, but TJ knew he would be on duty until he knew Ashley was safe.  
  
"What have you got?" TJ demanded as soon as he got out of the car and confronted the officers on duty at the temporary call center.  
  
"Henry from Motel 7 said there was a lady there who fit that description just the other day. He said she just disappeared without paying her bill." Officer Kaplan replied, ignoring the strain in the other man's voice.  
  
"So that means, maybe there's something still there." TJ realized. "Thanks." He quickly uttered as he grabbed his partner. "We'll let you know if we get anything else. That's our best lead so far. We've got other men checking out some of the others." Kaplan stated. TJ looked over the groups of people gathered to collect information. He noticed most of them were on the phone, which gave him reason to believe that they would find her soon.  
  
Henry let the two officers into the motel room Shelley had been staying in prior to her sudden departure. There were a few scattered items of clothes around the floor, along with empty cartons of cigarettes and numerous other beauty products. There was nothing in plain view that jumped out to them as evidence until TJ looked in the garbage. The garbage was suspiciously empty. He figured she was hiding something; she had had time to empty the trash before leaving.  
  
"Let's find the dumpster. I'm sure we'll find something there." TJ exclaimed as he left the motel room. He found the dumpster in the far end of the parking lot. Without hesitation he jumped in. His hard work was instantly rewarded when he found a dirty glove covered in some sort of liquid. He placed the glove into an evidence bag and they went back to the station.  
  
Wednesday 10 am  
  
Carlos was walking past the coffee shop on campus on his way to class. 'This is where I usually meet Ashley.' He thought as he continued on by. Ashley. Thoughts of his best friend went through his mind. He remembered the first day he had met the outgoing girl in 4th grade. He had just moved to Angel Grove, and the teacher had placed him next to her. From that moment on, the two had become close, inseparable friends. They walked to and from school together every day. Through Carlos's parent's divorce, Ashley's broken leg, soccer and cheerleading tryouts, the two were always there for each other. Even after they became rangers and after Ashley started dating Andros they were still the best of friends. Nothing could change that. As he recalled some of their favorite times, he realized he hadn't gone a day without seeing her since the day they met.  
  
The bell rang and Carlos realized he had zoned out of the entire Western Civ class, he didn't even remembering arriving at class. Seeing as going to the rest of his classes was futile, he went to rejoin TJ at the station to see if he could be of any help.  
  
Cassie sat on the bench and gazed out at the lake. The park was alive with people; children playing, couples relaxing. Their cheerful noises irritated Cassie. 'How can anything be happy when my best friend is missing?' Thoughts of her missing best friend brought tears to her eyes again. 'Will I ever see you again?' she reflected miserably. Shaking off her morose thoughts, she decided to focus on the positive. TJ and the entire Angel Grove police department were following the case. She was sure they would find her soon. Cassie shuddered as she thought about what would happen if they didn't. Ashley didn't deserve this fate. She deserved to be happy and grow old with Andros and their kids. That was Ashley's greatest dream. The two girls had talked about it endlessly over their years on the mega ship. 'And I helped to destroy it. How could I have done that to her?' She said in dismay as she recalled the incident a few mornings back when she had mistakenly assumed that Ashley was cheating on Andros. 'Why did I believe that? And why did I tell Andros?' Her mind cried out regretfully. Cassie shook off her self-pity and determined to start anew in her search for her best friend. 'There's got to be something I can do.' She determined purposefully.  
  
At the Hammond Household.  
  
"I can't believe this is happening." Jeff said to his father as they paced the living room hoping to hear of any news from TJ.  
  
"Why can't they find her?" Mr. Hammond exclaimed in frustration. "What's taking so long?"  
  
"TJ said it would take some time dad. I'm sure they're doing everything they can." Jeff declared calmly, trying to reassure the older man.  
  
"I know. But I hate knowing she's in the hands of that evil woman. It's like a nightmare coming true." Mr. Hammond cried as he clenched his fists in anger. "I will not let Shelley kill my only daughter!" He yelled furiously. Jeff realized it was useless to try to calm his dad down.  
  
He had already lost one sister; he couldn't bear to lose another one. He could only imagine how his dad felt, losing one daughter, and possibly a second. With a sudden insight of clarity, Jeff realized that the anger was the only thing keeping his dad from going insane.  
  
"Come on dad. There's got to be something we can do." He said resolutely, more determined than ever to help his sister. The two men rushed off to the police station.  
  
Thursday 9am  
  
TJ awoke with a start to the knocking on his door. Waking up he realized he fell asleep on his desk. Stifling a yawn after a long, restless night; he called out: "Come in."  
  
"The forensic team is back. I thought we should give them the glove and see what else the other teams have come up with. We're having a debriefing in 10 minutes." Lt. Gibson said to TJ. He noticed he was still wearing the same clothes as the night before. "Did you sleep here last night?"  
  
"Yeah, I must have fallen asleep while looking through all the paperwork." TJ admitted as he got out of his chair.  
  
"You need your rest TJ, you won't be able to keep this up for long." He advised his friend, as he took in the bloodshot eyes.  
  
"I know, but Ashley's counting on me, and I know time is not on our side." He said worried. The two exited the office to grab a cup of coffee on the way to their meeting.  
  
"Kaplan and Jones did you come up with anything at the prison?" Captain Harris demanded gruffly. Kidnapping cases did nothing to improve his rather brash personality.  
  
"What we've found out is that she took auto shop while in prison, as well as being a regular at the gym. They also verified that she had escaped via a laundry truck." Officer Kaplan informed the Captain and the other officers.  
  
"For Pete's sake. Is it really that easy to break out of prison?" The captain declared in disbelief.  
  
Dr. Murphy spoke up next. "The fact about auto shop is interesting, considering that all the brake fluid from Ashley's car had been drained. The glove you found in the dumpster had the same liquid on it as in Ashley's car."  
  
"Isn't it just generic brake fluid?" Officer Kaplan commented pessimistically.  
  
"Not necessarily. The car is a Volkswagen Beetle. German cars have a special brake fluid only used in those cars. So it's safe to assume it's a match." Dr. Murphy confirmed.  
  
"I almost forgot!" Lt. Gibson exclaimed urgently, causing the others to look at him curiously. "The car that tried to run Ashley down was a 95 brown two-door Honda, and it was missing a rear tail light. Maybe that car is the one that Shelley used to move Ashley."  
  
"Put a APB out on a 95 brown two-door Honda, with a missing rear tail light." Captain Harris announced over his radio. "It just might give us some tips as to where she was headed."  
  
"Are we sure she's not in the area?" Officer Jones wanted to know. "I don't think she would risk it." TJ offered in response. "She has too much to lose." "Why bother with kidnapping Ashley at all? Why not just escape?" Officer Kaplan asked realistically.  
  
"The warden said she suffered from a severe personality disorder not to mention a serious case of denial. She's out for revenge; she thinks she's been wronged. The warden said he's never seen a more guilty person. Unfortunately, Shelley doesn't see it that way." Officer Jones reasoned.  
  
"She should be considered dangerous, considering her fragile mental condition as well as her excellent physical condition." TJ warned his colleagues. That fact bothered him as he hoped Ashley was still alive.  
  
Ashley groaned as the sunlight shone right in her face. Blinking her eyes she shrugged the blanket off her weary body. Her mind raced to figure out what day it was. She realized it was already Thursday, though she had only been gone for 60 hours, it felt like 60 days. She couldn't remember the last time she had been separated from friends and/or family for so long. Her family. Thoughts of Jeff and her dad filled Ashley with sadness. She could only imagine the anguish they were going through. All this time they thought they were safe. She jumped as she heard the door open, as Shelley practically floated down the stairs with some eggs and toast for the girl.  
  
"Here you go darling." Shelley drawled, enjoying having Ashley has her prisoner. "Don't call me darling." Ashley grumbled as her eyes flashed with anger.  
  
"Ah, what are you going to do about it? It seems like you're a bit tied up at the moment." Shelley laughed at her lame attempt at a joke.  
  
"Don't worry kid, you won't be alone for long." Shelley promised as she turned to leave, and forcing Ashley to dwell on her statement.  
  
"What do you mean?" Ashley asked fearfully. Shelley turned back to her. "You didn't think I would be satisfied only getting rid of you did you?" She taunted the girl. Ashley's heart began to race as she realized Shelley was out to get her brother.  
  
Forcing herself to be calm, Ashley played on Shelley's ego. "Well since I can't stop you anyway, when are you going to do it?" She inquired worried.  
  
"Don't worry, it wont' be too much longer. Hopefully your brother will join you tomorrow." Shelley announced, almost joyfully. "And in no time, everyone will forget about you two. I'll be free, and your poor father will go crazy with the loss of all three of his kids." Without another word, the woman disappeared back into the house.  
  
"I've got to come up with a way out of here. I can't wait any longer. I will not let her hurt Jeff." Ashley vowed as she struggled to come up with a viable plan. She had to stop Shelley.  
  
Thursday 11 am  
  
TJ was back in his office after the meeting ended. After lunch he had planned to go through all the evidence that was collected from the motel room. He remembered one of the first things he had learned in the police academy. 'Sometimes you have to step back a bit and look for another angle to the problem.' That was the advice of his training supervisor, the legendary Captain Zambrano. He decided it couldn't hurt so he sat back to think about all the things he knew about Ashley and her stepmother. Closing his eyes, he waited patiently for the memories to arrive. He was teleported back to two years ago when Ashley had finally told them the horrible truth about her past.  
  
Ashley was sitting on a console in the bridge talking to Deca when the others appeared suddenly. There was awkward silence, as no one knew what to say or how to approach her. Finally TJ asked a question he had to know the answer to. "How bad was it?" Ashley looked at him with tears in her eyes, but before he could regret asking it, she asked the computer, "Deca, pull up my medical files."  
  
"Of course Ashley." Deca replied, obeying the yellow ranger's command immediately. The others settled into their chairs to view the screen while Andros simply sat on the console next to her and wrapped his arms around her in silent comfort.  
  
"Ash, you don't have to do this. I was just curious." TJ said trying to stop the brunette from reliving those terrible memories.  
  
"It's okay Teej. I need to get this out." Ashley admitted quietly as she continued to hold onto Andros' hand for support.  
  
It was a heavy silence that filled the bridge as they waited for the next entry. "This makes all our problems seem so petty." Carlos thought to himself as he turned to look at his best friend, who he had respected for many years, and more so now.  
  
"How did she do it?" The question slipped out of the black rangers mouth, breaking the silence.  
  
"How did I what?" Ashley inquired a bit confused.  
  
"How did you get through all that to be the person that you are now?" Carlos asked in astonishment. Ashley was one of the nicest and most supportive people he knew, and her loyalty and determination made her a great teammate as well.  
  
"I had the loving support of my brother and father, which is why we're so close now. But I had my share of counselors too." Ashley commented.  
  
"There's a bunch more, but we don't need to see all of them." Ashley decided as fatigue eventually began taking its toll on the yellow ranger.  
  
"How many times were you in the hospital Ash?" Cassie asked from her seat.  
  
"I don't know for certain, but I'd say in four years I was in the emergency room 15 times I guess." Ashley acknowledged thoughtfully.  
  
TJ's eyes snapped open as he remembered about the files aboard the mega ship. Maybe they would reveal something that would help break the case open. He ran to the Captain's office to tell him he was following up on a lead, and he raced out of the station to the Dojo.  
  
Adam had just finished up class when TJ arrived breathless at the Dojo. Dismissing his students, he turned to his friend. "Are you alright man? How's the investigation?" He asked quietly as he led him into the main office.  
  
"I just had an idea. I need to get a hold of Deca, do you have any idea how I can contact the galaxy rangers?" TJ asked directly.  
  
"Maybe Tommy knows how." Adam said thoughtfully. He ran out to where Tommy was just starting class. He whispered to him and they exchanged places as Tommy went to help TJ.  
  
"If you go to my house, Kim should still be there. We have a special radio that we use to contact them." Tommy advised the police officer. TJ shook his hand in gratitude and hurried off to the Oliver's house.  
  
"TJ, come in. Tommy called to let me know you were coming." Kim said as she opened the door for him to come in. "The radio is in the basement." She declared as TJ followed her down the stairs. "Here you go. Just push this button and it will contact the mega ship. Just wait for someone to answer." She explained to him. "Good luck TJ." She said as she left the officer alone.  
  
TJ pressed the button and waited impatiently for the mega ship to respond. Seconds ticked by, but it seemed like hours to him. Suddenly a voice came back at him. "This is Kai. Go ahead."  
  
"Kai, this is TJ. I need to get on to the mega ship. It's of vital importance." He told his friend urgently. There was a brief pause before Kai spoke again. "Deca will teleport you now." In a familiar rush, TJ was enveloped in a haze of colored light and teleported away.  
  
"What is it TJ?" Kai said as soon as he appeared on the bridge. TJ looked around at the ship that had been home to him for two years. A sense of longing overcame him as he remembered all the times he had spent there with his teammates. Snapping back to reality, he noticed the other galaxy rangers had joined them. "Ashley's missing." He declared a bit abruptly. He didn't feel like going through the whole story again.  
  
"Do you think Trakeena or Scorpius has anything to do with it?" Mike, the Magna Defender questioned the former blue astro ranger. They all waited on full alert to see if their evil enemies were behind this.  
  
"No. Nothing like that." He said to their relief. Kendrix and Kai let out the breath they had been holding. Maya however was not doing as well. After all Ashley had been her predecessor, and had become quite close to the new yellow ranger. Tears began to fall from the Mironite's eyes. Mike noticed it and went to comfort her. TJ glanced around at the new group of rangers in amusement, noticing the closeness of certain friendships. 'Just like we were.' He thought, before quickly getting back to the matter at hand. 'And we will again, once we get Ashley back.'  
  
"But I think Deca might have some information that might help us find her." TJ said hopefully.  
  
"What is it TJ?" Deca inquired. "Can you bring up Ashley's old medical files?" He commanded the ships' computer. A few seconds the file was brought up on the screen. The galaxy rangers let him alone to do his research as they went back to their daily duties.  
  
"Let me know if you need anything." Leo, the red ranger told him. TJ just nodded as he sorted though the file. The red ranger turned to join his teammates in the holding bay.  
  
December 12th, 1985, four year old Ashley Hammond admitted to Angel Grove Hospital with second degree burns."  
  
"March 19th 1986, Ashley rushed to AGH with a broken collarbone."  
  
"Ash, you don't have to do this. I was just curious." TJ said trying to stop the brunette from reliving those terrible memories.  
  
"It's okay Teej. I need to get this out." Ashley admitted quietly as she continued to hold onto Andros' hand for support.  
  
"July 4th, 1986 Ashley admitted to AGH with burns from a fireworks related incident."  
  
"We were up at Hangman's Island and Shelley had gone out and left my brother and I with two teenagers who were staying next to us. They let me set off some fireworks and they misfired and I burnt my hands." Ashley stated matter of factly.  
  
TJ stopped after this entry. Could she be at Hangman's Island? He had no other leads but figured they should go out there and check it out. Thanking Deca, he quickly teleported back to Angel Grove and back to the police station.  
  
"Hey Johnson!" Captain Harris called to his rookie officer as he reentered the station. "We got a witness saying they saw a brown Honda heading west on Route 41."  
  
"Route 41?" He said aloud. "The only place that road goes to is Hangman's Island." Gibson supplied to his partner. TJ almost stopped breathing. The pieces were starting to fall into place. Finally, there was reason to hope.  
  
"Does that mean anything?" Captain Harris questioned hopefully as he saw the expression on TJ's face. They desperately needed a break on this case. They were in the crucial time crunch now. Every moment was vital to rescuing Ashley.  
  
"Ashley's family had a summer lake house out there. There was an incident there about 14 years ago." He said completely stunned by the turn of events.  
  
"I think we should go check it out." The captain demanded urgently as the group hurried out to their cars and tore out of Angel Grove and headed towards Hangman's Island.  
  
A/N: Thank you for your patience with this chapter, it took a long time to write. I hope all the police scenes don't bore you. Again, please review. There will be one more chapter, and then the third part of the series. 


	7. Into the Woods

Chapter 6: Into the Woods  
  
Thursday 3 pm  
  
Ashley paced around the small basement desperately searching for anything she could use to her advantage. She had to stop Shelley from getting to Jeff. Glancing up at the window she noticed there were bars on the inside. 'Maybe one of those bars is loose.' She thought hopefully, after all the house was pretty old. She pushed an old wooden chair under the window with her hands still bound. She put her left leg up first, grimacing as all her weight rested on her injured limb and pulled herself up to a standing position. Catching her breath, she lifted her hands to start pulling at the bars. After ten minutes of extreme exertion her hard work was rewarded when the bar finally came loose, along with a ton of dust! Prying it away from the window, she let it drop unto the floor and lightly jumped off the chair. Ashley returned the chair to its usual position by the sink and hid the bar under her blanket. She sat against the wall to regain her composure and to come up with a plan.  
  
Before Jeff could even park the car, Mr. Hammond had jumped out and was on his way inside of the police station. Before he could take a step though, TJ, Captain Harris, and a few other officers came pouring out of the station. Jeff noticed this and left his car out on the street.  
  
"What is it?" Mr. Hammond demanded of TJ. TJ stopped a minute to give them a full report. "We have reason to believe Ashley is at Hangman's Island. We're on our way now. We'll call you as soon as we know anything." The young officer informed the distraught family. He immediately hopped into his squad car and sped away, looking to make the three-hour trip a lot faster. Jeff and Mr. Hammond watched as the squad cars pulled away, lights flashing and sirens blaring.  
  
"I hope they find her." Mr. Hammond finally spoke desolately. The emotional toll his daughter's disappearance had on him was finally coming to light as the tears began to fall. Jeff comforted his father and escorted him back to the car.  
  
"Come on dad. I'm sure if they think she's there that they will find her. She'll be back with us in no time." Jeff spoke optimistically. The whole time Ashley had been missing, it never once occurred to him that she would never come back. He couldn't allow himself to think that way.  
  
"I don't want to go home. It just seems so empty without Ashley." Mr. Hammond admitted to his son as the two pulled away from the police station.  
  
"I have an idea." Jeff declared as he made his way to the dojo. He pulled into the parking lot just as a bunch of kids and their parents left the building. The two men walked into an empty dojo, as there was a break between classes until after school.  
  
Adam looked up to see Jeff and his dad coming unto the floor. He quickly alerted Jason and Tommy to their arrival. "What's going on Jeff?" He asked the harried looking young man.  
  
"TJ and the police just took off for Hangman's Island. They think that's where Ashley is." He reported, desperately hoping they would find his sister.  
  
"Is there anything we can do?" Tommy questioned Jeff. "TJ said they'd call us as soon as they knew anything." Jeff replied wearily.  
  
"They just left so they'll be there in about 3 hours or less." Jason decided. He guided the group to the break room and directed Tommy to order some food. He himself went to his office to make some phone calls.  
  
Jason sat down at his desk and pulled out the afternoon rosters of their classes. Starting at the top he sent into motion a phone tree informing all the kids that afternoon classes had been cancelled. That task completed, Jason started a new chain of phone calls beginning with Trini.  
  
"So you'll let everyone know they can come and wait at the dojo?" Jason confirmed with the Asian girl and original yellow ranger.  
  
"Sure Jase. Billy and I will let everyone know, and we'll be there as soon as possible." Trini said before hanging up with Jason.  
  
The red dressed young man rejoined the others in the break room. "I cancelled classes this afternoon." He announced to the group. "Everyone else will be gathering down here shortly." Jason finished up.  
  
"Thanks Jason." Jeff said with gratitude. "I, We appreciate everything you've done for us to help Ashley." He said with tears in his eyes.  
  
"Ashley is like family to us. We're more than happy to help out." Tommy declared truthfully. 'Besides, no one hurts a ranger and gets away with it.' He thought angrily.  
  
"How are you holding up?" Adam asked compassionately. Jeff was about to reply, but his father jumped in before he could say a word.  
  
"It's the worst feeling in the world. I feel so helpless. I feel like its all my fault, I regret that it happened fourteen years ago, but now it never should have happened again. I should have believed her." Mr. Hammond cried out in frustration.  
  
"There is so many what if's but now we've got to focus on her return." Jeff said in response to his father's emotional protest.  
  
"I'm here without you baby but your still on my lonely mind I think about you baby and I dream about you all the time I'm here without you baby but your still with me in my dreams And tonight it's only you and me"  
  
Three doors down played on his radio as Andros hid out in his apartment. He didn't want to see the others, only wanted to live in his own guilt until Ashley came home. He didn't think he could make it till then. 'What have I done?' his mind cried out in anguish. He didn't want to dwell on what Ashley was going through, it would only drive him crazy. The only thing he knew was that he never wanted to be separated from her again. The phone rang as the cd played on. "Hello?" Andros questioned the caller.  
  
"Hey Andros, it's Carlos. I just got word from Rocky that TJ is out at Hangman's Island, they got a lead that Ashley is there. We're all waiting down at the dojo." Carlos informed him hopefully.  
  
"What if she's not there?" Andros asked fearing the worst. "You can't think like that Andros!" yelled Carlos. "TJ will find her and bring her back." Click. He hung up on the red ranger.  
  
Andros just stared at the phone. 'Ashley's a fighter, and I trust TJ with my own life.' He reminded himself. Forcing himself off his couch, he left the house and jumped in his jeep and headed towards the dojo. 'She's going to be fine.' He repeated to himself as he began the excruciating task of waiting.  
  
Thursday 5 pm  
  
"Hold on if you feel like letting go  
  
Hold on it gets better than you know"  
  
The Good Charlotte song ran through Ashley's mind and dispelled any doubts that she had of surviving. All her experiences as a ranger prepared her somewhat for this ordeal. She played out her plan in her mind and began to prepare mentally for the task ahead. Thoughts of Andros, her family and friends pushed Ashley to be more determined in her will to escape. Memories of long ago resurfaced in her mind as she was filled with anger as she remembered the fireworks incident. Shelley had left Jeff and Ashley alone with two teenagers and Ashley had ended up in the hospital with burns from the fireworks.  
  
'How dare that woman do that to me then, and now! If she wants to get Jeff she has to go through me! If Astronema couldn't kill me, I'll be damned if this crazy lady will!' She knew that Shelley would be down soon with her dinner, she only prayed it would be dark enough by then to go through with her plan.  
  
Quiet music filled the background of the solemn dojo as many of the old rangers waited with the Hammonds and the astro team for any word on Ashley. Andros arrived and was surprised by all the support. With sudden clarity, he realized he shouldn't have been. Everyone who knew Ashley loved her, and he knew that the rangers were family. Whenever one of them was hurting they were all hurting. And for one of the rare times in his life the usually withdrawn Kerovian was glad for the support. He saw Carlos talking to Cassie and made his way over to the former black astro ranger to apologize.  
  
"Carlos, about earlier."Andros started to apologize but Carlos stopped him. "Never mind Andros, I know you're upset, we all are. But we got to think she's coming back." He gently reproved his friend. Andros nodded in agreement and the two shook hands in friendship.  
  
Zhane watched his best friend pace the dojo back and forth frantically. He went over to calm him down. "Man Andros, you're going to wear a hole right through the floor." He joked.  
  
"Yeah well, I hate waiting." Andros muttered as he finally did stop pacing. "I only hope she'll forgive me." He confessed softly, so softly Zhane had to strain to hear him. Noticing the serious look on Andros's face, the former silver ranger led him out to another room.  
  
"Some times bad things happen to make you stronger. I mean, you never would have met Ashley if KO-35 hadn't been attacked. And that seemed to work out okay." Zhane declared with a wisdom Andros didn't know he possessed.  
  
"I'm going to marry her." Andros declared suddenly shocking Zhane. Talk about changing subjects. "IF she allows me to." He quickly added. Before Zhane could respond, someone else jumped in.  
  
"If you ask her I'm sure she'll say yes." Jeff spoke up from behind the duo. Andros looked at her brother stunned. "How do you know that Jeff?"  
  
"I know my sister. She always talks about you and how she wants to settle down." Jeff confided in the former red ranger. "Besides, I harassed her enough, I wanted her to be sure. I'll admit I had my doubts, but she never doubted you Andros. Never." He admitted honestly.  
  
"I promise I won't do anything that would make you or your dad doubt me. And I promise to take care of her forever." Andros vowed emphatically.  
  
"I know you will Andros. And I'm glad I was wrong about you." Jeff commented with a smile. He reached out to shake his hand. Jeff was about to return to the group when Andros asked him a question.  
  
"Do you think she'll forgive me?" Andros inquired softly. "She already has Andros." Jeff replied and then left leaving the two Kerovians to ponder his statement.  
  
TJ sat silently looking out the window of the squad car as the unit raced towards Hangman's Island. 'What if we're not there in time? I'll never forgive myself.' Lt. Gibson glanced at his unusually somber and quiet partner. "We'll get there in time Teej." He tried to reassure the younger man. TJ's head snapped up. "Don't tell me we have time!" His voice echoed through the car. He calmed down and continued, "I just have a feeling that time is of the essence." He spoke tensely, clenching his fists in order to control his anxiety. A spark of determination rushed through him. 'I never let one of my teammates down, and I'm not going to start now.' He offered a silent prayer for protection for Ashley.  
  
Little did he know that as he spoke Ashley was about to make her way out of the house and disappear into the woods.  
  
Thursday, 6pm  
  
Ashley watched as the shadows of the fading daylight slowly turned into darkness. Finally her chance to put her plan into action. She heard the door slowly creak open, alerting her to her captor's appearance. Ashley pushed herself off the floor and grabbed the bar from under the blanket. Silently she went to the bottom of the stairs and waited.  
  
Footsteps tell her the moment to attack is near. Shelley descends the stairs unaware that anything is amiss. Holding the dinner tray she is defenseless, even if she could see Ashley. She took a step beyond where Ashley was hiding. She called out to her, "Dinner." in her saccharine sweet voice.  
  
Holding her breath, Ashley swung the bar with all her might connecting with the back of Shelley's head. The blow knocked the woman down; the dinner tray spilled all over the floor. Shelley lay motionless and Ashley didn't hesitate to escape. She limped up the stairs and made her way out of the house, not stopping to close the front door. Not taking any chances she didn't stop moving, disappearing further into the woods and away from Shelley.  
  
Finally when she couldn't breathe anymore she leaned against a tree for support. Her legs weak from lack of use refused to bear her weight anymore. She collapsed on the ground as her vision blurred. Her head throbbed painfully as she closed her eyes wishing the pain away. She prayed that Shelley wouldn't wake up and that someone would find her.  
  
As darkness fully descended the temperature dropped. Ashley's torn yellow sweater offered her little protection from the cold. She shivered as the seconds turned to minutes, and the minutes felt like hours. 'Will anyone find me?' she thought worriedly as her injuries reduced her to tears.  
  
She didn't know that at that very moment TJ and the police had pulled up at the lake house.  
  
"What the hell?" TJ practically shouted as they pulled up in front of the lake house. The others were right on his heels as he raced up the stairs. The front door was wide open and the house strangely silent. He glanced back to check that the brown Honda was still in the driveway. Something was wrong. TJ's heart began to pound as fear crept into his thoughts. Captain Harris pushed past TJ to lead the charge into the house. The policemen crept around the corners looking for Shelley.  
  
"Down here!" Officer Kaplan shouted as he paused in front of the open basement door. Captain Harris nodded and they descended down the stairs. Shining his flashlight, TJ was horrified when he saw a body lying on the ground. He forced himself to breath as he checked the identity of the victim. He felt for a pulse and was relieved that whoever it was, was still alive. Turning her over carefully, he sighed in relief to discover it was not Ashley. 'So where is she?' he thought worried.  
  
"Who is it Johnson?" Captain Harris demanded as the rest of the team searched the basement for clues. "Ms. Martinson." He replied quickly.  
  
"Where's the victim?" Officer Jones asked curiously. "She must have escaped." TJ rationalized. He quickly sped up the stairs and headed outside to look for Ashley. He headed into the woods shouting her name. His partner and two others were right behind him, as Captain Harris called in an ambulance to take Shelley away.  
  
TJ's relief was short lived when he took a look at the woods. It was dark and Ashley could be anywhere. Plus she must be injured. He shuddered to think about the pain she had to endure. Ashley would not have gone down without a fight. However, she must have escaped not too long before since Shelley was still out cold. That thought gave him hope. Energy renewed, he strode determined into the woods to search for his missing friend.  
  
"ASHLEY!" TJ hollered hoping for some sort of response. The branches stirring in the wind was the only sound. He called again his voice echoing through the endless forest. The lack of response urged him to go further, Ashley needed him, he was sure of it.  
  
Ashley felt her eyes closing as she huddled in a ball to keep herself warm. 'What was that Andros always told me?' She wondered, trying to recall his advice. She didn't instantly remember but memories of her boyfriend and being in his arms warmed her up a bit. Suddenly she remembered. 'He always said if you were cold not to fall asleep. You could freeze to death.' She realized she didn't want to die, and even though her and Andros had broken up, Ashley believed it wasn't permanent. The only good thing to come from her ordeal was that it reaffirmed her love for Andros. He was her reason to live. He made her feel alive. Determinedly, she forced her eyes wide open and tried to focus on moving. She sat up despite the pain in her left side.  
  
Her knee was badly swollen from her falling down the stairs, which she didn't remember. Being hit on the head with a brick had given her a concussion, so her memories were sort of fuzzy from the past week. Her legs were covered with scratches, results of being dragged through the woods after Shelley had knocked her out. Ashley's wrists were raw where the rope had burned through the skin. 'I've got to keep going.' She said to motivate herself. Strong willed, Ashley pressed herself on in spite of the pain. The darkness did nothing to help her blurry vision.  
  
"ASHLEY!" TJ's deep voice called out tirelessly. "She couldn't have gone too far." Lt. Gibson assured him. TJ just kept calling out for her.  
  
Ashley tripped over a log and landed awkwardly on her wounded left arm. She didn't waste time crying or complaining, she simply forced herself to keep going. She would have time to cry later, but now she had to find a way out. A few feet away she paused to catch her breath, when she thought she heard a voice. She forced herself to calm down, how could she hear anything when her heart was pounding so?  
  
She heard the voice again, more clearly this time. "ASHLEY!" They said her name. The voice was so familiar. 'TJ!' Her mind suddenly recognized. Ashley yelled back, "TJ!" as loud as she could despite its soreness caused by dehydration.  
  
TJ stopped; he thought he had heard someone. He hoped that it wasn't his imagination. Hopefully he called out again. "ASHLEY!" And there was an instant reply. "TJ!"  
  
Grinning from ear to ear he started running in the direction of her voice. "ASHLEY, keep talking so I can find you!" He instructed her as the other officers followed him.  
  
"I'm over here Teej! Please hurry!" She shouted as she finally allowed herself to relax. She was safe. TJ was so close. The tired girl thought to herself. 'I'm going home.'  
  
"Ashley!" TJ greeted the girl joyfully as he saw her across the way. He ran to her side and gathered her tenderly in his embrace. "I'm so glad you're ok." He whispered.  
  
"I knew you would find me TJ." Ashley acknowledged gratefully. TJ quickly cut off the rope and freed her arms.  
  
"Well let's get you out of here." TJ declared. He picked up his walkie- talkie. "Johnson to Hector 77. We got her. Send down the helicopter." He announced with excitement.  
  
The whirring of the helicopter signaled its arrival as it landed in a clearing a few hundred feet away. Ashley started to walk away, and TJ noticed the lack of mobility of her left side. Quickly he scooped the girl into his arms and hurried to where the paramedics were waiting. As he ran he noticed she had lost weight. Solemnly he realized her physical ordeal was over, but the emotional one had just begun.  
  
The paramedics loaded her onto a stretcher and put an IV into her arm to provide her with nutrients and water for her malnourished and dehydrated body. They placed some probes on her heart to monitor its rate and had oxygen on hand in case she needed it. Captain Harris shut the door and the helicopter began its ascent into the sky and back towards Angel Grove.  
  
The pilot called ahead to the hospital to alert them to the helicopter landing with an injured patient. The Paramedics worked to make Ashley as comfortable as possible, covering her with blankets to keep her warm. In the light of the helicopter, TJ could make out the bruises that covered most of Ashley's body. He was horrified to discover the evidence of the physical abuse she was forced to endure.  
  
"I was so scared when I got to the house and the front door was open. It was so quiet, it really frightened me. And then when we found a body downstairs, I was so relieved when we discovered it wasn't you." TJ admitted to her, tears forming in his dark brown eyes. Ashley had tears in her eyes too, and couldn't find the words to say. In a simple gesture, she placed her hand on his to comfort him. They both sat still for a few moments, allowing some of the shock to wear off.  
  
Reluctantly TJ took the opportunity to probe Ashley for answers. He knew once they got to the hospital, she would be ambushed by a myriad of doctors, not to mention friends and family that were anxious to see her.  
  
"Ash, can you tell me about the day you disappeared?" TJ confronted her gently. Ashley replied in a soft whisper, "It was a rotten day. I broke up with Andros and had to work the closing shift at work. It went by so slowly, but finally 9pm arrived. I closed up the store and was on my way to my car, and then I woke up in the basement of my old lake house." She explained as TJ took notes of her account for the police report.  
  
Ashley started coughing, so the paramedics gave her a cup of water. TJ took the opportunity to call ahead to the dojo where he knew everyone was waiting restlessly.  
  
The phone rang in the office startling everyone in the room. The ringing had disturbed the soft swells of conversation and silenced the many people waiting. IT was the first phone call of the endless afternoon, and everyone held their breaths in hope. Jason bolding approached the phone, praying briefly that it was good news. "Hello?" He asked cautiously.  
  
"Jase? It's TJ." The police officer declared, trying to remain calm. "Hold on, let me put you on speaker phone." Jason pushed the button and placed the phone back on its receiver.  
  
"Hey guys!" TJ announced. "We found Ashley, and we're on our way to Angel Grove University Hospital. We should be there in 45 minutes." That was all he said as he listened to the group let out their collective breaths and celebrated. People began hugging each other as the somber mood of the room evaporated.  
  
Mr. Hammond and Jeff hugged as tears fell freely down their cheeks. Cassie volunteered to get a bag together for Ashley, as she assumed she would be in the hospital at least overnight, and hopefully not longer. Andros stood still, completely in shock. Joy rushed through him suddenly and he embraced Zhane. Carlos came up to them at that moment and ushered them out to his car. The group was headed to the hospital in a huge caravan of former rangers.  
  
They gathered in the waiting room of the emergency room once again to wait. But this time they knew the outcome. Most of them were relieved and calm, eager to see their friend; but one person was not so upbeat.  
  
Jeff kept himself isolated from the rest of the group as they chatted, hiding by the vending machines to gather his thoughts. He was so grateful that Ashley was coming back, but what would her condition be? He had tried to remain positive for his dad and everyone else but inside all he felt was guilt. He had protected Ashley since they were little kids. And now the one person they dreaded the most had come back to haunt them. And he had done nothing to protect her. He had been so confident that Ashley had forgiven Andros. But could she forgive him? Her brother? He punched the machine in frustration. He wouldn't blame her if she didn't.  
  
"What did the machine ever do to you?" Carlos asked as he joined Jeff. "Nothing." He mumbled.  
  
"I bet this has been hard on you." Carlos commented as he watched the gut wrenching pain written all over Jeff's face. "Not as hard as it was on Ashley." He uttered in disgust.  
  
"Don't do that to yourself man. Each of you had to go through your own hell. Heck, there's still a lot of stuff to go through." The former black ranger advised one of his oldest friends. "She's going to need you more than ever."  
  
"What if she doesn't forgive me?" Jeff asked doubtfully. Carlos could not imagine what he or Ashley was going through or had gone through as children. But he could see that it was tearing them apart.  
  
"Only time will tell. But Ashley isn't one to hold a grudge. I think the question you should ask is, Will you forgive yourself?" Carlos challenged the slightly older man. He let Jeff think on that and quietly left.  
  
TJ was curious, but hesitated to ask. 'What had made Ashley try to escape? Something must have happened?' Finally he got up the courage. "How did you escape?"  
  
"Shelley told me she was going after Jeff. That was the final straw. There was no way in hell she was going to get to my brother. She was going to have to go through me." Ashley declared emphatically as her face flushed red in anger.  
  
"What if you hadn't gotten away?" TJ mentioned. "I never thought of that. I was the only one who could protect my brother. I did what I had to do." Ashley explained patiently.  
  
"Preparing to land!" The pilot shouted as the helicopter began its descent unto the hospital roof. TJ held Ashley's hand through the turbulence. Doctors were waiting to escort Ashley down into the emergency room. Captain Harris relieved TJ of his duties and told him to join his friends down in the waiting room.  
  
TJ stopped outside the waiting room and observed the group. He was about to enter, but before he did an observant Cassie spotted him.  
  
"TJ!" Cassie hollered as the group turned to watch him enter the room. They all gathered around for any sort of information. "How is she?" Andros demanded of his former teammate.  
  
"I can't say for sure. They brought her into the ER for testing and some ex- rays. We'll have to wait and see how she is." TJ said vaguely. "I wish I knew more, but I'm not a doctor." He apologized.  
  
"You may not be a doctor," Mr. Hammond agreed, "But you and your fellow officers helped to save my daughter, and I will always be grateful." He spoke up as his emotions overwhelmed him.  
  
"Where did you find her?" Carlos questioned his best friend.  
  
TJ recounted the amazing details of her rescue. "We found her in the woods. She had managed to escape and had been on the run."  
  
"Where's Shelley? She wouldn't have just let her go." Carlos decided firmly. TJ replied, "She was out cold in the basement. Ashley struck her on the back of the head with a bar and escaped. Shelley is now in police custody."  
  
"What made her try to escape?" Jeff spoke up quietly from outside the circle of friends and family.  
  
TJ looked uncomfortable with Jeff's question. But he knew he had to be honest and forward. "Shelley threatened to come after you, Jeff." TJ informed him.  
  
"Oh my god." Jeff whispered as the reality set in. Ashley had protected him and risked her own life to do it. "Can we see her?" He asked softly.  
  
"Not yet. The doctors are running some tests. She has some pretty serious injuries." TJ informed them somberly. But even his statement could stop their elation that Ashley was back.  
  
The waiting room door swung open and the doctor stepped through. "Hi, I'm Dr. Terrence, we are about to examine Ashley, but if you'd like there is a window, you can see her." The group was too large to go at once, so Mr. Hammond, Jeff, and the astro team went up alone. The others stayed behind.  
  
Ashley was in so much pain. All the events of the past week had finally caught up to her. The nurse had gotten rid of her filthy, torn clothes and replaced them with a hospital gown. Dr. Terrence returned and opened the curtain to the room, revealing her friends and family. Ashley tried not to look at them. They with all their guilt written on their faces, concerned and worried about her. It was the last straw. She was not ready to see them. Part of her was still angry at their unwillingness to believe her. "This wouldn't have happened, if they would have believed me." She cried out loud, luckily no one outside the room could hear her. She was so upset the nurse had to sedate her so they could work on her injuries. Tears came pouring down her face as she sobbed and sobbed. IT broke Andros's heart to see her in such distress.  
  
A few minutes later, she was calm as they cleaned and stitched up the scratches on her legs and arms. Dr. Terrence thought she might be suffering from a concussion, a broken left wrist, and some cracked ribs, but only an ex-ray would tell for sure. "Send her down for some ex-rays. Let me know the second they come back." He ordered the technician as he started to roll her down the hall.  
  
Dr. Terrence turned to Ashley. "You can see your friends while you go to ex- ray." He didn't know his words would cause such anguish. "No." she whispered. "I don't want to see anyone." Dr. Terrence was surprised but not too much. She had been through a lot; she needed some rest and time to recover. He complied with her request, so the tech took her out the back door while he went to explain to her friends and family. They all stood up as he entered the room.  
  
"What's going on? How is she?" Mr. Hammond questioned anxiously. The others were quiet as they waited for the report.  
  
"Physically, she'll heal in a few weeks. I sent her down for x-rays to see if there was a concussion. She probably has a broken left wrist and some cracked ribs, but she's very lucky it's not worse." Dr. Terrence reported. "I'm more concerned with her emotional health. She is in a very vulnerable state right now, so I will reevaluate her in the morning and see how she is."  
  
"Thank you doctor." Mr. Hammond said gratefully, shaking the doctors hand. They all sat down to wait on the results of her x-rays.  
  
Ashley was wheeled into a private room after she finished with her x-rays. She was hooked up to numerous monitors to make sure all her organs were functioning properly. She had an IV in to feed her with more nutrients and liquid to help speed up her recovery. The sedatives began to kick in as she felt herself relax into sleep.  
  
Dr. Terrence studied the ex-rays and determined that she did have a concussion, broken left wrist, and a few cracked ribs. He sent down an order to the pharmacy for some painkillers. He checked in on his patient before reporting back to her friends and family. He was relieved to see her resting comfortably, the suffering temporarily wiped off her face.  
  
"The ex-rays confirmed my suspicions. They also showed a tear in the ACL in her left knee. She'll need some physical therapy when she is released from the hospital." Dr. Terrence stated.  
  
"When will that be?" Jeff demanded of the doctor. "It's all up to Ashley and how she feels. She may feel too frightened to leave. Like I said before, we're most concerned with her emotional state and how she'll react to returning to normal life."  
  
"You expect it to be a hard transition?" Andros asked curiously. "Most victims of violence have a hard time adjusting to life after the attack. Some of them never recover. That's why we are taking this so seriously, we want Ashley to go back to being who she was before the attack." They were surprised at his news, they had never thought about the after effects of Ashley's ordeal. "She's resting comfortably now. Why don't you come back in the morning, and we'll know more then." Dr. Terrence suggested to the weary group. Seeing as there was nothing they could do there, they agreed.  
  
Friday morning 9am.  
  
Ashley woke up with a splitting headache as the sedatives wore off. She groaned as her body protested against her decision to move. Lying back in defeat, Ashley became aware of her surroundings. Her hospital room was small, but clean. The isolation was a welcome change from the busyness of the night before. She relished the quiet, even though she was left with memories of her ordeal. Flashes of different moments raced through her brain, from the night she was in the parking lot to when she woke up in the basement, to seeing Shelley for the first time, and to the moment she escaped. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out those images and the pain that she was confronted with as she became fully awake. Looking down at herself, she saw a cast on her wrist and a large brace on her knee, not to mention the numerous bandages that covered her limbs.  
  
Memories of last night came to her mind as she remembered seeing her friends and family staring in the window. She noticed the looks of guilt and couldn't deal with it. She had her own guilt and nightmares to deal with. She didn't need theirs. Tears began to fall as the pain started to overwhelm her. At that moment Dr. Terrence came in to speak with her.  
  
"How are you this morning Ashley?" He asked tenderly, taking in the painful expression on her face and her tears.  
  
"I have a lot of pain." She admitted to him and he quickly ordered some painkillers to help remedy that situation, so that he could get through to her emotionally. "You know, everyone is waiting out in the lobby hoping to see you." He stated.  
  
"I don't care. I just don't want to see anyone right now. I want to be alone." Ashley told the doctor in no uncertain terms. "If that's your wish, you don't have to see anyone. But is there any particular reason?"  
  
"I know they were worried and I don't want to cause them any more grief, but last night all I saw was their guilt. I know they feel bad because they didn't believe me, and I can't deal with them right now. It's hard enough for me as it is." Ashley clarified for the doctor.  
  
"When do you think you'll be ready?" He questioned cautiously, not wanting to upset her. "I don't know." Ashley cried out in frustration. "I want to but. I just can't."  
  
Dr. Terrence waited a few moments before presenting another option." Well there is another option. I talked to Captain Harris and he agreed that this would be a good solution. We have an excellent counseling center in Hawaii that deals with victims of violence. They have great counselors and you can get away and talk to people who are going through exactly what you're going through. It's your decision." Dr. Terrence advised her.  
  
Ashley didn't even hesitate. "I'd like that." She even smiled briefly, assuring Dr. Terrence that this was the right plan of action. He went to talk to her family and inform them of her decision.  
  
"How long will she be gone?" Mr. Hammond wanted to know. If this would help Ashley he would send her there.  
  
"It's a two month program. It's a nationally recognized center with exceptional staff and facilities. She'll get whatever she needs there, including her physical therapy." Dr. Terrence reassured them.  
  
"When does she have to go? And what is the cost?" Jeff asked. "We have a ticket for her to leave this evening, they have an immediate opening. There's no reason to wait. The closer to the attack that she arrives, the better her recovery will be." Dr. Terrence spoke optimistically.  
  
"Dad, are you sure about this?" Jeff inquired doubtfully. He didn't know how anyone could help his sister more than her friends and family.  
  
"Yeah, Jeff I do. I don't see a way around it. If this is what she needs, then fine." Mr. Hammond was a bit frightened at not seeing Ashley for 2 months, but he knew it was the right decision in the long run.  
  
"What about the cost?" Mr. Hammond asked again. At this time TJ came into the room and informed them, "The department has taken care of it." They were shocked at the generosity of the police.  
  
"I can't let you do this TJ." Mr. Hammond protested. "Captain Harris insisted." TJ declared.  
  
Cassie and Carlos left then to go pack some bags for Ashley. They filled it with her clothes and music, along with some pictures.  
  
"I'm going to miss her." Cassie said as she and Carlos put Ashley's bags in Carlos's jeep. "Me too, but at least we know she's safe and she can get the help she needs." Carlos told her. "Honestly, I'm more worried about Andros." He confessed, trying to lighten the mood. It worked as she giggled in response. "Oh, and we can throw her a surprise party when she gets back. Oh there is so much to plan, and we only have two months!" She exclaimed in excitement.  
  
Mr. Hammond and Jeff went home after Ashley had been airlifted to the airport for her flight to Hawaii. The others went to the café to catch up with the other rangers and to comfort one another.  
  
THE END!  
  
A/N: Finally! I never planned on this becoming a trilogy, it just sort of evolved. I hope you enjoyed the first two parts, thanks for your patience while I finished them. Look for Part 3: Returning in the next week or so. Please review.  
  
Summary for Returning:  
Will the road to recovery lead Ashley back home? 


End file.
